Monday 9th of March 2026 09:41:10 PM

‘Sovereignty at stake’, Iranian diaspora says

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Women members of Iran’s Red Crescent society stand near smoke plumes from an ongoing fire following an overnight airstrike on the Shahran oil refinery in northwestern Tehran on March 8, 2026. AFP

On 28 February, Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by joint US and Israel attacks on his residence. A further week of strikes on Iran have targeted nuclear and military sites, including airfields, radar, and naval facilities.

The Red Crescent estimates the death toll has topped 1000 people across Iran, including at least 165 girls killed when their school was bombed in the city of Minab. Iran has retaliated against military and civilian targets across the Gulf states, and Israel has also attacked Hezbollah in Lebanon.

As the strikes continue, Iranians living here in New Zealand talk to Kadambari Raghukumar about their views on the war and the divide in the community that it has amplified.

Mahdis Azarmandi, an expert in Peace and Conflict studies and senior lecturer at University of Canterbury said: “I think what people need to understand that this war is motivated and it’s a continuation of the genocide in Gaza, the war in Lebanon, of the restructuring of West Asia. So it has to be seen politically in a broader context of how to rearrange the, you know, Middle East or West Asia more accurately. And that has been underway for a period of time. And Iran, as one of the few countries left that retains sovereignty, is a threat to the reordering of that part of the world.”

Many in the Iranian community are divided over the conflict.

Rubble of destroyed buildings is pictured at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Rweiss neighbourhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs, on March 8, 2026. AFP

While some Iranians around the world have celebrated the death of Khamenei and welcome the attacks, there are large numbers denouncing the assault on Iran and decrying the attack on their nation’s sovereignty.

Mahdis said: “This is not just about people who opposed the war and people who are celebrating the war in some park. It means that entire families and communities are going to be completely divided for a very long time. So that is what concerns me on a personal level. I think it’s that how many relationships are broken right now because of it.”

Separating the personal from the current politics is hard, Mahdis tells Raghukumar – especially for those who had to leave Iran during the 70s or 80s – either during the rule of the last Shah of Iran, Mohamed Reza Pahlavi, or after he was deposed in 1979, when the first Supreme Leader, the Grand Ayatollah Khomeini took power.

Mahdis said: ” I think I am constantly living through all of these layers of personal experience. So the personal experience of being in a diaspora Iranian with a particular kind of relationship to the Islamic Republic and who sees these things not in isolation from each other, but in conjunction. And I think that is what differentiates the people who are now more concerned and maybe taking a step back and defending the sovereignty of Iran, which I think is what is at stake.”

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tibnit on March 5, 2026. RABIH DAHER / AFP

The current bombings came after weeks of negotiations between Iran and US and are viewed by many commentators as a breach of international law.

Dr Behzad Dowran has been living in New Zealand for eight years. He said: “From the past, we can remember they invaded many countries. And the result was just, innocent people were killed over there. And nothing but misery they gifted to those countries.”

In January, Dowran happened to be in Tehran, a witness to the violent protests that saw thousands of people killed. Behzad said “nobody can imagine being attacked by negotiators”.

“We have had many internal issues, many internal problems, mismanagement or wrong policies, many things. But we have had this experience, and we were going to manage it in a way internally to solve it.

“It is not easy to solve these sort of problems when you have long term of sanctions. But we managed it, more or less. But they attacked the country just in the middle of negotiations.”

Dowran said he was “very angry” because it violated international law.

“Nobody has the right, no country has the right to invade another country and kill the head of another country. And I am sorry and I am very sad that I see my Iranian comrades here think this is a thing that they may celebrate.”

Another Iranian, who preferred to remain anonymous for concerns of their safety, told Here Now that “the Iranian community is very diverse. Whatever the people inside Iran want that is what should matter most. Many people believe that a lasting solution must come from inside Iran, not imposed from outside”.

“Different approaches doesn’t we mean are enemies to one another. Most of us want the same ultimate goal -a better, freer, more dignified future for Iranians. But the ways we reach that goal may be very different.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Leman murder trial: Closing arguments heard in High Court

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Michael Scott Rodger is on trial for murdering Richard Leman. RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon

Crown prosecutors have been accused of being “underhanded and dishonest” by ignoring crucial evidence around the brutal killing of a Canterbury man, a High Court jury has heard.

Michael Scott Rodger, 46, is accused of murdering Richard Leman, 41, whose body was found in the boot of his own car parked at an abandoned house in Tyler Street in Rangiora in April 2023.

Leman’s torso was found in the car but his head, legs and arms are still missing.

Rodger denies shooting or killing the father-of-three.

Closing arguments were heard in the High Court at Christchurch on Monday in front of Justice Jonathan Eaton.

The jury heard from Crown prosecutor Barnaby Hawes for more than two hours, where he explained the case against Rodger was “overwhelming”.

In response, Rodger’s defence lawyer Ethan Huda said there were legitimate questions around the circumstances of Leman’s death.

He explained the Crown had failed to mention, in its closing arguments, evidence from a pathologist who found Leman could have been stabbed before being shot.

“There’s a reasonable doubt about what happened at the crime scene. There’s a reasonable doubt as to what happened around the time of death,” Huda said.

“I suggest…that when you get to [the pathologist’s] evidence during your deliberation, the Crown’s case evaporates into the thin air like candy floss. It’s good to look at, it’s even good to taste from a certain angle, but it’s fluff.

“It’s disrespectful to 12 members of the jury to think you can hide evidence from them. A pathetic attempt at proving its case.”

The Crown argues Rodger shot Leman twice, first in the leg, then a fatal shot to his chest.

Richard Leman’s torso was found in a car, but his head, legs and arms are still missing. Supplied / NZ Police

Earlier in the trial, pathologist Dr Leslie Anderson said Leman was also stabbed in the back.

The defence said key Crown witnesses Morgan Grant and Sara Plimmer, who were with Leman the night he died, did not reference a stabbing during their respective testimonies.

The defence also outlined a text message exchange between Grant and another person, three days after Leman’s murder, which referenced the involvement of not one, but multiple “fugitives”.

In his closing arguments for the Crown, Hawes told jurors “objective evidence” proved there was only one possible killer.

“I suggest the way to approach the case is to start with what is fixed and independent, the pathology, the CCTV and telecommunications records, and all the forensic work and the linkages back to Mr Rodger,” he said.

“Any other possible explanation you’re looking at bring it back to this core, objective evidence. When you do that, I suggest the evidence clearly converges on one person and one person only and that is Mr. Rodger.”

Hawes said the accused’s claim that another unidentified person was the killer remained implausible.

“Mr. Roger would have you believe he’s unlucky.

“It’s not simply bad luck, that he was at the scene. It certainly was for Richard Leman. It’s not bad luck that both eyewitnesses name him as the perpetrator.

“I suggest he’s not unlucky, I suggest he’s guilty.”

The Crown said no-one gave Leman first-aid or called emergency services and Leman died within minutes.

The jury heard that Rodger threatened to kill Grant and Plimmer, took Leman’s drugs and cash and dragged his body into another room.

Justice Eaton was due to sum up the case on Tuesday before the jury retires for deliberations.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Government working ‘around the clock’ to help New Zealanders stranded in Middle East

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules prepares to leave for the Middle East on 7 March. Kaye Albyt

New Zealanders in the Middle East should attempt to leave by road or commercial flights as soon as it is safe to do so, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said.

The government was working “around the clock” on plans to assist Kiwis stranded in the region, an MFAT spokesperson said.

Efforts were focused on overland options to support New Zealanders to leave Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

MFAT had contacted New Zealanders in those countries who had expressed interest in government-assisted departure, but support provided would depend on factors, including the security environment and cooperation of foreign governments, the spokesperson said.

MFAT warned that travel disruption has now extended well beyond the region.

Airlines that normally transit Middle East airspace to connect Europe and Asia faced significantly longer routes and higher fuel costs, which had been compounded by Russian and Ukrainian airspace also being closed to most airlines.

For those countries where the airspace remained closed, MFAT advised sheltering in place and following the advice of local authorities at all times.

This included ensuring enough food and water supplies, torches, batteries, and medications.

Commercial airlines were increasing the number of flights operating and were the fastest way for New Zealanders to get home, MFAT said.

By Monday morning, 3694 New Zealanders had registered as in the region via the Safe Travel site.

A MFAT spokesperson said the majority (2213) were in the United Arab Emirates. Around 900 New Zealanders have registered from Qatar and Saudi Arabia combined, and 121 in Egypt.

Less than 100 Kiwis were in each of Kuwait, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Oman, and 36 in Iran.

MFAT said its ability to assist New Zealanders in Iran was extremely limited.

The Embassy in Tehran, which closed in mid-January, would remain closed until further notice.

New Zealanders in Iran needing support should contact the consular emergency line or the New Zealand Embassy in Turkey.

The Safe Travel site reported Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) had announced the partial re-opening of airspace and some resumption of flights out of Doha.  

The services would  operate on designated contingency routes with limited capacity, and with the support of Qatar’s Armed Forces, allowing for airline-run evacuation flights.

Qatar Airlines had been in direct contact with customers to offer this option, MFAT said.

“We strongly encourage New Zealanders who want to leave Qatar, particularly those who have existing bookings with Qatar Airways, to urgently contact your airline and travel agent to seek further information. “

There was one commercial flight scheduled to leave Doha on Monday, travelling to Perth.

There could be long delays getting through to airlines, given very high demand, but people should stay on the line until answered and use official channels like chat or call centres, not social media, MFAT said.

All airlines and airports continued to stress that passengers should not proceed to the airport unless their airline has confirmed their specific flight is operating.

It urged people to register via the Safe Travel website, to check the website and Facebook for any updates, and to avoid government buildings, military sites and facilities, such as energy infrastructure, including oil production facilities and US Embassies, which could be targeted in military strikes.

Two Defence Force Hercules are in the region and poised to assist if commercial flights become unavailable, a MFAT spokesperson said.

One departed from Whenuapai on Saturday, and another was being redirected to the Middle East from Asia.

On the weekend, Defence Minister Judith Collins said she could not provide specific routes, timings or destinations for security reasons, but that if evacuations took place, the planes would bring people to safer locations where they could board commercial flights back to New Zealand.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

‘Rockets and feathers’ effect: The phenomenon behind soaring gas prices

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Dan Cook

Do petrol prices rise faster when oil increases, than they fall when it drops?

A number of motorists have got in touch with RNZ over the weekend, complaining that it appears that when the price of oil rises, petrol companies respond quickly with higher fuel prices. But when the price of oil drops, the relief does not flow through as fast.

The oil price is now over US$100 per barrel and 95 has reached $3 a litre in some parts of the country. Gaspy said the average price of 91 was $2.64 on Monday afternoon.

Murat Ungor, an economist at Otago University, said it was a known phenomenon.

“Economists have a name for it: the ‘rockets and feathers’ effect. This label suggests asymmetries in the immediate adjustment to a cost change as well as in the number of periods needed for a complete adjustment.”

He said it reflected rational responses to market structure, search costs and competitive dynamics.

“Whilst the pattern disadvantages consumers during price decline periods, it emerges from well-understood economic mechanisms including inventory management, menu costs, asymmetric search behaviour, and oligopolistic market structure.

“Policy interventions focusing on enhancing price transparency and maintaining competitive market structures can mitigate, though not eliminate, asymmetric price transmission.”

He said it was a pattern seen in the UK and US, too.

“Competition authorities across the globe have long been interested in the question of whether retail gasoline and diesel prices rise more quickly than they fall, relative to the movements in underlying input costs.

“So why does this happen? There are a few reasons working together. First, when oil prices go up, petrol stations need to replace their fuel at higher costs, so they raise prices quickly to avoid losing money. All stations face the same pressure, so prices jump across the board within days. But when oil prices drop, there is less urgency. Stations can keep prices higher for longer because most customers do not actively shop around for cheaper fuel when prices are falling gradually.”

He said that it was not price fixing as much as it was fuel retailers responding to competitive pressure and consumer behaviour.

“When you are more likely to notice and complain about rising prices than slowly falling ones, stations can get away with slower cuts. Price comparison apps and websites can help by making it easier to find the cheapest fuel, which forces stations to compete more on price. But the rockets-and-feathers pattern is unlikely to disappear completely. It is baked into how the retail fuel market works.”

In 2024, a focus report from the Commerce Commission said that its analysis showed fuel companies were quicker to increase petrol prices than to lower them.

“There is no evidence that fuel companies ultimately fail to pass through the cost increases or decreases to consumers, rather the speed at which companies do this varies. This effect is present for Regular 91 and Premium 95. The commission estimates that if fuel companies drop prices as quickly as they increase them when costs change, consumers would save in the order of $15 million a year.”

But Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub was not convinced it was such a problem. He said it could be that people were more sensitive to price rises than they were to price falls.

“Using 20 years of weekly MBIE data, the rockets-and-feathers hypothesis is not confirmed with the well-specified models. The popular intuition may reflect cognitive bias, structural factors like taxes being a large fixed component of retail prices, or something else. I certainly don’t see the rockets and feather effect in the data.”

Z did not have anyone available to speak. BP said it was monitoring the situation closely.

“There are a number of factors that influence prices. We continue to review bp Connect prices every day to ensure competitiveness in the market. The bp website has more information on the facts about fuel pricing. There are also a number of independent bp operators all around the country who set their own prices and manage their own operations.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Schools bringing in counsellors to deal with harm caused by social media

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Source: Radio New Zealand

There are calls for a ban on social media for under 16’s in New Zealand. (File photo) NurPhoto via AFP

Principals of two Auckland schools say they’ve had to hire counsellors specifically for dealing with the harm caused to children by social media.

The principal of East Auckland’s Riverina Primary School, Bryce Mills told Checkpoint children as young as eight were being exposed to extreme online content.

He said his school hired a counsellor to help deal with the damage and he was not the only one.

Auckland’s Whangaparāoa College had hired the equivalent of five school counsellors last year to help teenagers harmed by social media, it said.

It’s prompted calls to push through a ban on social media for under-16s.

It comes days after Parliament’s Education and Workforce Committee released its final report on the inquiry into the harm social media causes for young people, offering recommendations including banning under-16 year olds from social media.

Saasha Jolley is a teacher at Riverina Primary School and she regularly heard students talk about scrolling Instagram, Tiktok and Snapchat as well as gaming online the night before.

Primary school children were using social media apps like Instagram and Tiktok, a teacher said. (File photo) RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

“Roblox in particular is a big one at the moment, in terms of the chatter that happens, the games they have access to.

“I know that it’s both a platform for kids and adults, they can both access it, they can create the games on there, so I guess that makes it a lot more open.”

What the students see and hear online at night arrived with them at school the next day, she said, and they didn’t always understand what they were repeating.

“They heard it from their friend or they heard it from this person online, so they thought that it was okay to say.”

Last year, research from Te Mana Whakaatu the Classification Office, found young people don’t generally go looking for objectionable content.

But it could be hard to avoid when it came up on social media, in group chats, or was shown around in person.

Some examples of this included pornography and real-world violence.

Riverina Primary School principal Bryce Mills said similar content was being seen by children as young as eight at his school.

“There is the odd occasion unfortunately where you do hear some of that sexual stuff coming through as well,” he said.

The school of 150 students was self-funding its own online security system, which costed them $3000 each year.

But Mills said the school couldn’t control what the students saw once they went home for the day.

“I had a parent the other day say to me, that they got up at one in the morning to go to the bathroom and they could see a glowing light from a bedroom.

A child using the Roblox app. (File photo) MARIJAN MURAT

“Their daughter had gone out and got the phone off the dining room table and was on their phone.

“If they hadn’t gone up to go to the bathroom, they wouldn’t have known that. It [happens] behind those closed doors.”

The situation was similar at Auckland’s Whangaparāoa College.

Principal Steve McCracken said he had to hire the equivalent of five school counsellors last year to help teenagers harmed by social media.

It was costing the school hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“I think that it is largely driven by social media and what they see is cool, the people that they see online with rich backgrounds and fast cars and all the bling.”

Last year, Australia became the first country to implement a social media ban for under 16’s, blocking access to sites like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Where to get help:

  • Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason
  • Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
  • Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends
  • Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202
  • Samaritans: 0800 726 666
  • Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
  • What’s Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds
  • Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, and English.
  • Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
  • Healthline: 0800 611 116
  • Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
  • OUTLine: 0800 688 5463
  • Aoake te Rā bereaved by suicide service: or call 0800 000 053

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Rugby: Injury-hit Black Ferns Sevens outlast Australia in Vancouver thriller

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Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand’s women’s team celebrate with the trophy after defeating Australia to win the HSBC SVNS Vancouver rugby sevens tournament. AFP / DON MACKINNON

An injury-depleted Black Ferns Sevens side pulled off a hard fought victory over Australia in the Vancouver Sevens final on Monday.

Reduced to just three players on their reserves bench with Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Jazmin Felix-Hotham and Manaia Nuku unavailable, the odds were stacked against the Black Ferns, who have got the better of Australia in three of their four previous title clashes during the series.

Leading 12-5 at halftime, New Zealand appeared to be running out of steam as the Aussies reeled them in level the scores at 17-17 with a couple of minutes left on the clock before a late try Alena Saili sealed the victory for the Black Ferns.

Player of the match Jorja Miller was the crucial point of difference between the two teams.

Miller scored one and set up a second in a full-throttle final as the Black Ferns Sevens held off Australia maintain their perfect winning record in Vancouver.

Miller said the adversity faced by the team during the tournament made the win more meaningful.

“I am so proud of this team, I’m so honoured to wear this black jersey. We’ve had a few girls go down this weekend … it means a lot more to us than just rugby,” the

And, on International Women’s Day she remembered who had inspired her. “When I was younger I was looking up to the greats, amazing players like Portia and Sarah Hirini.

“I hope that, as a team, we can inspire young girls and young boys to play rugby.”

USA beat France in the third-place play-off to end a nine-tournament wait for a podium finish, while Canada got the home crowd on their feet as they claimed fifth, and Japan claimed seventh at the end of an end-to-end play-off against Great Britain.

In the men’s draw, South Africa toppled Spain to take out the title.

South Africa beat and Spain 38-12 in the men’s final.

The All Blacks Sevens failed to reach the semifinal stage after losing to both of the eventual finalists during pool play.

The series now heads to New York for the next weekend’s tournament.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Airlines may look to cut flights as fuel prices soar, airline boss says

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Duane Emeny, chief operating officer of Air Chathams. Sharon Brettkelly

Airlines may have to cut the number of flights as they grapple with the soaring price of aviation fuel, according to the boss of a New Zealand airline.

The chief executive of Air Chathams says the rising cost of oil is costing the small airline some $140,000 extra a month in fuel.

The conflict in Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route carrying about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas.

It’s pushed the global oil prices higher. The benchmark Brent Crude rose 18 percent or by US$18 to US$110 a barrel shortly after trading resumed on Monday at 11am NZT.

Air Chathams chief executive Duane Emeny told Checkpoint that prices were certainly on their way up.

Emeny said fuel was the company’s third most expensive cost, behind people and maintenance, and it’s causing significant cost increases for the airline.

“Every time the fuel costs go up by 10 cents, for a small airline like Air Chathams, that’s about $300k on to the bottom line for us. As you can imagine, with an increase of about $60 a barrel to what we are seeing at the moment, which is around the $115 mark, you are looking at annual costs of about 1.65 million increase, or $140k a month,” he said.

“So, it’s really, really significant, especially for a small airline.”

Emeny said the airline may have to cut the number of flights should the price of jet fuel remain so high.

“If you can’t afford to put aeroplanes in the air, then you’ve got to look at that and say ‘do I cut back my schedule, do I provide less connectivity because of this cost and then wait until it comes right and eases?’.”

“… All airlines will be looking at this, the big ones and the little ones,” Emeny said.

He’d like the government to look at ways to soften the blow on airlines.

“It’s an uncontrollable. We just have to grin and bear it,” Emeny said.

“I would just say, if there is any opportunity for the government to look at some of the mechanisms they do control – [Civil Aviation Authority] CAA levies, cost of airways, those sort of things – maybe there’s some short-term measures we can look at to support airlines.”

He said pausing those levies would be a welcome relief, saving the airline around $200,000 a month.

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Kaikōura farmer fined $35k for failing to register hundreds of cattle

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Trevor Bolton, failed to track or register the movements of cattle on and off his farms. (File photo) RNZ / Nate McKinnon

A Kaikōura dairy farmer has been fined $35,000 for failing to register hundreds of cattle or track their movements on and off his farms.

Trevor Ronald Bolton, 59, was sentenced at the Kaikōura District Court on March 6, after pleading guilty to three charges under the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) Act.

Under the act, the movement of all cattle or deer must be declared to Operational Solutions for Primary Industries within 48 hours.

Animals must also be fitted with a NAIT tag and registered in the system by the time the animal is 180 days old or before it is moved off a farm. 

A Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) investigation found Bolton had not registered 269 animals, failed to declare 571 animals that were moved off-farm and failed to declare the movement of 83 animals onto his two large dairy farms.

He was fined $11,666 for each of the failures.

MPI district manager of animal welfare and NAIT compliance upper south Paul Soper said the system was critical in tracing animals to manage disease or biosecurity incursions.

“This farmer’s failures under the NAIT Act related to almost 1000 animals. As we have learned from our experience with Mycoplasma bovis it only takes one animal to cause a problem,” he said.

Soper said MPI took non-compliance with the animal tracing rules seriously.

“Put simply, when people in charge of animals disregard or fail to live up to their NAIT obligations they put the whole agricultural sector at risk,” he said.

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Taihoro reborn: Team NZ launches upgraded AC75 ahead of America’s Cup defence

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Emirates Team New Zealand’s new AC75 sailing on Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf James Somerset

Team New Zealand’s boat Taihoro is officially out of the shed and ready to hit the water ahead of next year’s America’s Cup.

The team relaunched their AC75 at their Wynyard Point base in Auckland on Monday, a milestone in a campaign that is focussed on securing a historic fourth consecutive victory in Naples in 2027.

While Taihoro is the same vessel that dominated the waters of Barcelona, it has undergone a significant refit to meet the new 38th America’s Cup rules.

Team New Zealand chief executive officer Grant Dalton said “to outsiders, there may not be a huge amount that is apparently different”.

“From the outside it looks similar.”

Under strict cost-containment measures, teams are restricted to their legacy hulls used in the last Cup.

To remain compliant, Team New Zealand’s designers worked within razor-thin margins, limited to three specific modification categories:

  • Cockpit Reconfiguration: Extensive work to transition the deck layout for the new crew requirements.
  • Structural Rebuilds: The team was permitted to rebuild up to 4sqm of the hull using the same shape but different materials, allowing for localised strengthening or weight optimisation.
  • Functional Rebates: Modifications were made to add rebates to maximize aerodynamic efficiency.

Team New Zealand’s head of design Dan Bernasconi said despite the same hulls being used again, the rules still allow for some significant technological developments and improvements in the AC75’s.

“The hulls have always been one of the most noticeable features on an America’s Cup yacht, but because the hulls spend so much time out of the water, there is actually not that much difference in the performance of hulls, maybe five seconds around the race course across all of the boats in Barcelona.

“So the class rule and design parameters still allow for important gains and difference in performance from the foils, sails and control systems for example. As with every iteration of the same class of boat, there is no doubt the racing will be a lot closer this time around between all teams.

“So, as always, winning will be a massive challenge for the whole team.”

Team New Zealand first unveiled Taihoro ahead of the 2024 America’s Cup in Barcelona. LLUIS GENE / AFP

Chief operating officer Kevin Shoebridge also expected a step up in performance.

“Internally, our philosophy is to always drive innovation and technology, so we think Taihoro ‘2.0’ will be a great step on from what we saw in Barcelona.” .

The most radical visual transformation lies in the crew pod on either side of the AC75.

The cyclors, who used leg power to provide hydraulic pressure have been retired as per the Protocol. In their place sits a standardised battery system for use across all teams.

This high-capacity battery is now the primary source of power for the yacht’s complex foil and sail control systems.

This technological leap has direct consequences for the crew, moving the challenge from physical exertion to digital discipline, as sailors must manage finite battery limits throughout the race.

Crew sizes have shrunk from eight down to five.

With an odd number of crew, roles are becoming more fluid, or roles like flight control and sail trimming may be further consolidated.

Skipper Nathan Outteridge said there is a lot of anticipation around what the roles of the five sailors will be.

“When you look across all of the teams, the question is who will be in the different positions.

“For us, we have a fresh new team which is an exciting mix of young talent and experience so what that eventually looks like in July next year we don’t know right now. That’s part of what the next block sailing Taihoro is about.”

One certainty in the coming days is Olympic gold and silver medallist Jo Aleh is set to become the first woman to crew an AC75 as a new rule introduced to extend the pathways beyond the AC40’s and Women’s America’s Cup to the America’s Cup itself.

A notable addition to the new layout is a dedicated guest racer pod, designed to allow a non-crew member to experience the raw G-forces of an AC75 at full flight, a feature not seen since the days of the version 5 IACC boats in 2007.

Team New Zealand will be utilising the guest racer spot throughout their sailing block in Auckland over the coming weeks.

The relaunch ceremony was centred around the cultural traditions that have come to define the team’s identity with Iwi Manaaki Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei presiding over the event, blessing Taihoro once again.

The blessing reconnected the vessel with its name, meaning “to move swiftly as the sea between both sky and earth”.

Aucklanders and America’s Cup followers will not have to wait long to see the Taihoro in action.

With the AC75 ready to go sailing, the first seen in the 38th America’s Cup cycle, the team will begin an intensive testing block immediately. Over the coming weeks, Taihoro will be a regular fixture on the Hauraki Gulf, flying across the water as the crew acclimates to the new dynamics of the freshly evolved AC75 before the team refocuses on AC40 racing at the first Preliminary Regatta in Cagliari, Sardinia in May.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Luxon: Bad poll result ‘not a major focus’ for National

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Prime Minister continues to insist he has the backing of his party and colleagues, and that he has only discussed last week’s disastrous poll “in passing”.

The Taypayers Union-Curia poll last week put National on 28.4 percent – its lowest result since he became leader.

Speaking at his post-Cabinet media conference this afternoon, Christopher Luxon said polling was not a major focus of discussion with his ministers and fellow National MPs.

He said the media had “gone a bit bananas” on the poll result, and his support amongst the caucus was solid.

He said he did not need to talk to members of his party over the weekend to know he had their support.

“I talk to my ministers and MPs all of the time. In passing I talked about the poll results, but I talked about lots of other things.”

He said the poll had not been a “major focus”.

“I can reassure you I’ll be the leader going into the election on November 7.”

Luxon said the poll result was just one of many, and that only one poll really mattered to him.

“Every day I’m talking to Kiwis and the key thing is their poll – and they tell me they’re frustrated with the cost of living and frustrated with the speed of the economic recovery, and that’s what they want us to do.”

He added that the kinds of numbers seen in last week’s poll were “not going to happen” on Election Day.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. RNZ / Angus Dreaver

Riding the economic shockwaves

Finance Minister Nicola Willis also spoke at this afternoon’s press conference, and sought to give reassurance the government could respond to any economic shocks caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

Willis said the potential impacts to GDP depended on how long the conflict lasted – saying it could be between -0.2 to -0.4 percent, but beyond that it depended on the global trajectory for growth.

She said there were so many different scenarios that she could not give precise figures.

“We are already seeing impacts in the price New Zealanders pay for petrol and we can anticipate a range of potential consequences for supply chains, trade, inflation and future economic activity.”

Willis did say it was unlikely the government will cut fuel excise taxes.

“I’d love to be able to say I can take away the pain right now, but I’m conscious that short term gain could lead to longer term pain, and I’m mindful that any immediate actions do come with a longer term cost.”

She said while there is a lot of volatile in global oil prices, the government does not expect fuel companies to take advantage of rising prices.

“We have asked the Commerce Commission to step up its monitoring of fuel prices and if necessary to call out any suspect pricing behaviour by retailers.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Te Papa, botanical gardens added to measles locations of interest

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Papa was one of the locations visited by the tourist in February. CC4.0

A tourist who was in New Zealand while infected with measles visited Te Papa museum and the Wellington botanical gardens.

On Sunday, Health New Zealand confirmed 13 other measles locations of interest linked to the traveller between 23-27 February.

The case was confirmed after they left the country.

Trains, tourist spots, Parliament tours and both Wellington and Auckland airports are among the locations of interest.

The health agency has added Te Papa and the Wellington Botanical Gardens to the list on Monday afternoon.

The person visited Te Papa Museum on 26 February between 10am and 1pm and Wellington Botanical Gardens on he same day between 1pm and 2.30pm.

Health New Zealand said anyone who suspected they had measles should phone ahead before visiting their doctor so they could take precautions to stop it spreading.

Symptoms include a runny nose, fever, cough, sore watery eyes and a rash that develops a few days after the fever.

“We remind everyone that measles is one of the most highly contagious illnesses of all infectious diseases and spreads very easily. Anyone who was at a location of interest should monitor for symptoms of measles,” said Dr Emma Sherwood, a public health specialist at Health NZ.

“When given after 12 months of age, two doses of the MMR vaccine protects 99 percent of people and gives the best long-lasting protection. It is still possible for people who are vaccinated to get the illness, but it is much less likely.”

Locations of interest

23/02/2026 (7:30am to 8:30am) Train HVL Epuni to Upper Hutt

23/02/26 (9:30pm to 1:00pm) Nga Manu Reserve, Waikanae

23/02/26 (12:15pm to 4:15pm) Adrenaline Forest, Porirua

23/02/2026 (4pm to 5:30pm) Train HVL Upper Hutt to Epuni

24/02/2026 (9am to 10am) Train HVL Epuni to Wellington Station

24/02/2026 (3pm to 4pm) Train HVL Wellington Station to Epuni Station

25/02/26 (5:15pm to 8:30pm) Fraser Park Sportsville / Ricoh Sports Centre

26/02/2026 (8.30am to 9.30am) Train HVL Epuni to Wellington Station

26/02/2026 (10am to 1pm) Te Papa Museum

26/02/26 (12:00pm to 1:30pm) Cable Car, 280 Lambton Quay, Wellington

26/02/26 (1pm and 2.30pm) Wellington Botanical Gardens

26/02/26 (1:30pm to 4:00pm) Parliament Tour (bespoke tour for educational group)

26/02/26 (4:10pm to 8:20pm) Wellington Airport Domestic Terminal

26/02/26 (8:30pm to10:30pm) Auckland Airport Domestic Terminal

26/02/26-27/02/26 (9:00pm to 1:00am) Auckland Airport’s International Terminal

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

‘What’s going on?’: Kiwi cricketer Brett Randell on the five-ball blitz that created history

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Central Stags paceman Brett Randell captured global headlines after becoming the first player to claim a triple hat-trick in the 254-year history of first class cricket. www.photosport.nz

After taking his fifth wicket in five balls, a perplexed Brett Randell looked to his teammates for an explanation.

“What was going on? I don’t think anyone knew what was going on. We were coming into the huddle after each of the wickets and their reactions were the same as mine, just ‘what’s going on?’”

The Central Districts bowler rewrote the record books on Sunday after becoming the first player to claim a triple hat-trick in the 254-year history of first class cricket.

He achieved the feat during a Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts at McLean Park in Napier.

“It’s a once in a lifetime thing and I’m just going to try and stay grounded and go into next game, just trying to emulate the same plans, but recognising that the same thing’s probably not going to happen again,” Randell said.

The accomplishment had still not fully sunk in for Randell.

“It was pretty crazy. I still can’t really believe it, I don’t think I will for a while.”

He described a surreal feeling as the wickets kept tumbling. Randell’s dismissals read bowled, bowled, caught behind, caught at slip, bowled.

“I was just trying to stay level headed and just keep putting the ball in the same area because it was clearly working. That was about it really, couldn’t believe what was happening, but still trying to stay in the same area that I had been doing for the previous few balls.

“We talk about not really not searching for wickets. So I was just trying to put the ball in the same area because it had got wickets already. So I just thought, why not? I’m just going to keep trying to put it in the same area and see what happens.

“I managed to snaffle another couple. Then the couple in the over after that as well, I was just trying to do the same thing.”

As for his favourite, he said they were all “pretty good”.

“I think the first one I was quite happy with because of the balls proceeding it, I had a plan come to fruition. Then they just kept coming off. So I’d say all of them are pretty equal.”

Commenters online attempted to take the gloss off the feat, questioning whether or not the third wicket was legitimate.

“I thought it hit glove initially. I spoke to Joe (Carter) this morning and he said he would have gone up as well, but he was pretty adamant that he didn’t hit it.

“I mean, at the end of the day, the umpire put his finger up and that’s all there is to it.”

Having captured global headlines, Randell said he was simply trying to enjoy the moment.

“The messages from family and friends have been crazy. Everyone just can’t really believe it. From friends all around the world as well that I’ve played cricket with – it was a really special moment.”

A veteran of the first-class scene, Randell, who represented New Zealand at under-19 level, made his debut for Northern Districts in 2017. He said he still had ambitions of a Black Caps’ call-up.

“I’ve moved around quite a bit, those sorts of selections or recognition will come or they won’t. At the end of the day, I’m just trying to put out some good performances for the Stags and be the best cricketer and best person I can be.”

Though he said he had shared plenty of memorable moments with the Stags, from a personal standpoint, the triple hat-trick sits alone as his finest hour on a cricket pitch.

“I don’t think there is any topping it, unless I can join a fellow teammate of mine Ajaz Patel and get 10 in an innings.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Former Auckland executive who paid teen $1000 for sex, sentenced to 10 months home detention

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The executive has since left his job. (File photo) RNZ/Yiting Lin

A former Auckland executive has been denied permanent name suppression, but still cannot be named after being convicted of paying a teenager $1000 for sex.

The man was charged with receiving “commercial sexual services” from a person aged under 18.

He was sentenced on Monday, to 10-month home detention and ordered to pay $3000 in emotional harm reparation, however an appeal application means he still can’t be named.

MORE TO COME…

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Woman charged after dog kills 4-year-old

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Angus Dreaver

A woman has a been charged with owning a dog that caused death to a person, after the death of a child last year.

Four-year-old Timothy Tu’uaki Rolleston-Bryan died after a dog attack in Katikati in March 2025.

At the time of his death, spokesperson for Tuapiro Marae Shaan Kingi said he was known as a “boisterous young boy, very playful, adventurous”.

“He was a loving, young, happy-go-lucky boy.”

Detective Senior Sergeant Natalie Flowerdew-Brown says a 35-year-old is due to appear in the New Plymouth District Court on 16 March.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Politics live: Christopher Luxon responds to poll result

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Finance minster Nicola Willis is joining Christopher Luxon at the weekly post-Cabinet media conference, with an update on the economy. But attention is likely to fall on the Prime Minister with questions about his leadership, the polls and Iran.

Follow all the latest news with RNZ’s live blog.

The prime minister is facing disastrous poll numbers, while also dealing with global issues, as missiles continue to tear through Middle Eastern skies.

Pressure is mounting on the Christopher Luxon with a poll result last week putting National in the 20s.

Listen to the PM’s appearance on Morning Report here:

Luxon batted away questions last week about stepping down as party leader following the latest Taxpayers’ Union Curia poll that had National on 28.4 – down nearly 3 points from its poll last month.

Luxon said on Friday evening none of his Cabinet colleagues had told him to reconsider his future, saying “all of them” back him.

He said he was “absolutely not” considering standing down and said he had the skills to lead the National Party and the country.

Luxon also made a personal explanation in the House on Tuesday night, after he stated incorrectly the government was automatically extending visas for people in New Zealand affected by the war in Iran.

RNZ / Angus Dreaver

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Iran conflict sparks freight chaos: New Zealand faces soaring costs and months‑long delays

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Freight was being disrupted due to the conflict in Iran. (File photo) Bryan Crump

A freight company is warning New Zealand faces sharply higher freight prices, rising living costs, and months‑long delivery delays as the impact of the Iran conflict spreads through global supply chains.

Rocket Freight said local road transport carriers had already increased fuel charges by more than 30 percent.

Director Lisa Coleman said the escalating costs would hit consumers across the board.

“It’s everywhere, it’s affecting everyone, and it will come down to the last dollar for every single person in New Zealand,” she said.

“Every product that arrives on shelves will be affected.”

Coleman said air freight was also squeezed.

Air and sea freight was being squeezed. (File photo) Luis Boza / NurPhoto via AFP

Dubai-based Emirates – the largest air freight operator in the country – had halted operations, and remaining carriers had immediately added war and fuel surcharges, she said.

With only two main air freight providers still serving New Zealand, and a number of airlines yet to return after the pandemic, Coleman said competition was limited and prices had jumped, particularly for outsized cargo.

While she said some increases were understandable, “a lot of it looks like a marketing ploy and a money grab”.

Seaborne freight also disrupted

Ocean freight faced similar pressures.

Coleman said international shipping lines had introduced a “war risk surcharge” of up to 50 percent on marine transit policies.

Many vessels were avoiding the Middle East entirely, re-routing around southern Africa – adding up to 40 days to transit times and significantly increasing fuel costs.

The closure of Dubai – a critical global hub – had thrown container schedules into disarray, leaving vessels out of position and disrupting logistics chains.

Explosions from the interception of an Iranian projectile are seen in the sky over Dubai. (File photo) AFP / Giuseppe Cacace

“All the trade routing we would normally use is changing. It’s all fluctuating – nobody knows when cargo is going to get here,” Coleman said.

Some shipping lines also invoked force majeure, the contractual mechanism that freed them from delivery obligations during events such as war, natural disasters, or government action.

In several cases, Coleman said cargo had been offloaded at the nearest safe port.

“Then you have to negotiate to get that container picked up from wherever it ended up, put on a different ship, and get it over here.”

Force majeure events were not covered by insurance, because they were treated as acts of war.

The only stable spot, for now, was freight to Australia and China – though Coleman expected prices on those routes to rise as fuel costs continued to climb.

Delays, fuel concerns, and the risk of rationing

Coleman said US-bound freight was already chaotic under the existing tariff environment, but she was increasingly worried about New Zealand’s ability to draw down fuel reserves at an affordable cost if the crisis intensified.

“The supply is obviously going to be our biggest worry. This country will absolutely stop if we have to start fuel‑rationing,” she said.

Coleman said rising transport costs would ripple through every part of the supply chain.

“It comes down to that loaf of bread – it’s going to increase dramatically just because of transport costs.”

Consumers and businesses should expect higher prices and significant delays, she said, warning major household goods not currently in stock could now take months to arrive.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Senior first responder facing child exploitation charges continues to keep name a secret

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The man appeared via audio-visual-link at the Christchurch District Court on Monday. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

A senior first responder facing child exploitation charges has elected to have a judge-alone trial.

The man, whose name and occupation are suppressed, has pleaded not guilty to five charges relating to the possession and exportation of child exploitation material brought by Customs last year.

The man appeared via audio-visual-link at the Christchurch District Court on Monday.

He had previously elected a trial by jury but has now opted for a judge-alone trial.

At a court appearance in September, it was revealed the man had been fired from his job.

His lawyer Craig Ruane said the man’s employment had been terminated because the charges “brought his employer into disrepute”.

Ruane said his client had highly developed skills in his industry and publication would hinder him from obtaining employment.

Judge Elkin agreed to extend the man’s interim name suppression until his trial because publication would cause extreme hardship.

The man is on bail ahead of his next court appearance in April.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Fine handed down after acquisition of wood shavings company lessened competition

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

The High Court has penalised two companies $420,000 over an acquisition that substantially lessened competition in the wood shavings market.

The Commerce Commission filed proceedings against Alderson Logistics and associated company Supa Shavings, over the acquisition of ABS Carriers in 2022.

Pre-acquisition, ABS and Supa Shavings were the largest suppliers of bulk wood shavings in Waikato.

“The companies were each other’s closest competitors and, when those assets were acquired, that competition was eliminated,” commission chair John Small said.

“The Commission was not notified about the acquisition, so this case is an important reminder that while our clearance regime is voluntary, we can take action against mergers or acquisitions where clearance was not sought.”

The case also marked the first time the commission asked a business to divest the acquired assets.

However, the commission said a deal to sell ABS fell through, meaning the divestment did not happen.

In her judgement, Justice Gardiner noted Alderson and Supa Shavings accepted they gained commercially from the deal for about 13 months, until a shavings supply shock in June 2023 affected their profitability.

Small said it was vital for firms to understand their obligations under the Commerce Act.

“While divestment was unsuccessful in this case, this shows the array of enforcement actions available to us,” he said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Politics live: Christopher Luxon faces grilling after disastrous week

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Finance minster Nicola Willis is joining Christopher Luxon at the weekly post-Cabinet media conference, with an update on the economy. But attention is likely to fall on the Prime Minister with questions about his leadership, the polls and Iran.

Follow all the latest news with RNZ’s live blog.

The prime minister is facing disastrous poll numbers, while also dealing with global issues, as missiles continue to tear through Middle Eastern skies.

Pressure is mounting on the Christopher Luxon with a poll result last week putting National in the 20s.

Listen to the PM’s appearance on Morning Report here:

Luxon batted away questions last week about stepping down as party leader following the latest Taxpayers’ Union Curia poll that had National on 28.4 – down nearly 3 points from its poll last month.

Luxon said on Friday evening none of his Cabinet colleagues had told him to reconsider his future, saying “all of them” back him.

He said he was “absolutely not” considering standing down and said he had the skills to lead the National Party and the country.

Luxon also made a personal explanation in the House on Tuesday night, after he stated incorrectly the government was automatically extending visas for people in New Zealand affected by the war in Iran.

RNZ / Angus Dreaver

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

US military opens environmental review for expanded Marianas training footprint

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By Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent

The United States military has begun the formal environmental review process for the continuation of large-scale training and testing activities in waters around the Northern Mariana Islands and on Farallon de Medinilla.

The Department of the Navy, including the US Navy and Marine Corps, along with the US Air Force, US Army and US Coast Guard, has prepared a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement for the Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) programme.

The proposal would allow military readiness activities to continue at sea and on Farallon de Medinilla, an uninhabited island north of Saipan used as a live-fire training range.

According to the draft document, the activities include joint military training exercises, weapons testing, research and development, and range modernisation.

At-sea operations would occur within the Mariana Islands Range Complex, additional high seas areas north and west of the complex, and nearshore waters of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The study area remains unchanged from the 2020 review. Land-based activities previously analysed on Guam, Saipan, Tinian and Rota are not being re-evaluated in this supplement.

The updated analysis focuses on activities at sea and on Farallon de Medinilla.

Potential impacts
The draft assesses potential impacts on marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds, fish, marine habitats, cultural resources and socioeconomic uses such as fishing and shipping. It examines the effects of sonar, explosives, vessel activity and other stressors.

The Navy’s modelling predicts most effects on marine mammals would be temporary behavioural changes. A small number of injuries from explosive use are projected for marine species annually, but no population-level impacts or mortalities are predicted.

Three alternatives are analysed: a no-action alternative under which strike warfare training on Farallon de Medinilla would cease; a preferred alternative reflecting a representative year of training activity; and a second action alternative assuming maximum projected activity annually over seven years.

The notice of intent to prepare the supplemental environmental review was issued on 7 June 2025, followed by a scoping and Section 106 consultation period that ran through 22 July 2025.

The draft document was released on 2 March, triggering a public review and comment period that runs until 1 May 2026.

The final environmental impact statement is scheduled for February 2027, with a record of decision expected in mid-2027.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Iran conflict: Request for Australian help shows the changing nature of warfare

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Rocket trails are seen in the sky above the Israeli center coastal city of Netanya amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks. AFP / JACK GUEZ

The Gulf states’ calls for Australian military assistance shows the changing nature of weaponry, and warfare leaders on both sides of the Tasman are reckoning with it, say defence experts.

The Australian government is considering a request for help from all six Gulf states – Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar – for protection against Iranian drone and missile attacks, which have targeted airports and oil infrastructure, the ABC reported.

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said the government has not received a request for military assistance and is not considering it.

Massey University professor of International Relations Bethan Greener said Australian ministers will have to carefully weigh what counter-drone and missile protection means.

“What’s quite important about the requests is by nature they are being deemed defensive, and so the Australian government is having to weigh what that might look like, and whether or not engaging in any way in this war could potentially pull them into a more offensive action.”

Malcolm Davis, senior defence strategy analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told Nine to Noon the Gulf states’ request was a “legitimate” one.

He said the government could offer a short-range surface-to-air missile system called NASAMs, which would involve teams operating on the ground in the Gulf states.

Greener said the request showed the changing nature of warfare – the Australian government had recently become highly interested in counter-drone operations, launching a project called Land 156 in late January focused on safeguarding critical infrastructure.

“I think this conflict will be quite a telling one with regards to what kind of weaponry we are going to see, what kind of movement of troops or manoeuvre, the difference in air power crewed, or uncrewed.

“For a long time, a lot of western militaries have still clung to the model of an infantry – often a light mobile infantry, backed by artillery and armoured components – this really does change things up.”

Greener said the New Zealand government was also looking at this, with an announcement 10 days ago that the defence force would trial air, land and sea drones made from kiwi company Syos Aerospace.

“It’s quite important this year that New Zealand is looking much more seriously in to how it might utilise drones, I know that’s contentious for New Zealanders, it’s discomforting, the idea of unpeopled vessels potentially carrying ammunition – those sorts of ethical questions.”

She said it wasn’t surprising the New Zealand government had not been asked for military assistance from the Gulf states, and reflected the size of the country’s military.

Davis said governments had not taken “the counter-drone mission seriously enough”, and it was something Australia and other Western powers were now considering.

“Now we’re finding that we’re confronted with this reality, and it’s not just about Iran, it’s also about what China and Russia can do in a conflict.”

He said he expected a decision from the Australian government on military assistance early this week.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Politics live: Christopher Luxon faces pressure after polling woes

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is holding his weekly post Cabinet media conference to face questions about his leadership, the polls and Iran.

Watch it live here from 4pm:

Follow all the latest news with RNZ’s live blog.

The prime minister is facing disastrous poll numbers, while also dealing with global issues, as missiles continue to tear through Middle Eastern skies.

Pressure is mounting on the Christopher Luxon with a poll result last week putting National in the 20s.

Listen to the PM’s appearance on Morning Report here:

Luxon batted away questions last week about stepping down as party leader following the latest Taxpayers’ Union Curia poll that had National on 28.4 – down nearly 3 points from its poll last month.

Luxon said on Friday evening none of his Cabinet colleagues had told him to reconsider his future, saying “all of them” back him.

He said he was “absolutely not” considering standing down and said he had the skills to lead the National Party and the country.

Luxon also made a personal explanation in the House on Tuesday night, after he stated incorrectly the government was automatically extending visas for people in New Zealand affected by the war in Iran.

RNZ / Angus Dreaver

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for March 9, 2026

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ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on March 9, 2026.

What is the ‘acid rain’ in the wake of US bombings in Iran? An atmospheric scientist explains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabriel da Silva, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne Reports are emerging of black rain falling over parts of Iran in the hours after US-Israeli airstrikes on oil depots on the weekend, with some outlets describing it as “acid rain”. Iranian residents have reported

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader? And would he bring change – or more brutal suppression?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehmet Ozalp, Professor of Islamic Studies, Head of School, The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation, Charles Sturt University The death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, during the holy month of Ramadan marks one of the most consequential turning points in the history of the Islamic

Insolvencies have spiked – would a law change let more businesses trade their way out of trouble?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Liu, Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau New Zealand has been experiencing a striking rise in company failures, focusing attention on the role of directors when facing financial trouble. Corporate insolvencies have now reached their highest levels in 15 years, with

Arming a Kurdish insurgency would be a risky endeavor – for both the US and Iran’s minority Kurds
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Calabrese, Assistant Professor, School of Public Affairs and Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute, American University With the Iranian regime weakened by relentless American and Israeli missiles, Washington is eyeing a familiar U.S. ally in the Middle East to help push the Islamic Republic over the

A brief cinematic history of Frankenstein’s Bride as a feminist icon
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Polina Zelmanova, PhD Candidate in Film and Television Studies, University of Warwick Frankenstein’s female creature, also known as “the Bride”, was the first female monster to appear on screen, in the 1935 Frankenstein sequel: The Bride of Frankenstein. An unruly and rebellious figure, she has inspired dozens

What Americans think of the war in Iran
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Whiteley, Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex The American people are bitterly divided over the conflict in Iran. The US president, Donald Trump, won office in 2024 after campaigning on a message of “no new wars”. So the conflict that began with airstrikes conducted with

Seeing the same midwife or doctor in pregnancy and labour reduces the risk of birth trauma
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Dahlen, Professor of Midwifery, Associate Dean Research and HDR, Midwifery Discipline Leader, Western Sydney University Every pregnant woman wants to deliver a healthy baby. During labour and birth, women also want to feel listened to and respected, and to come out of the experience physically and

School hours have barely changed since the 1800s. This doesn’t suit teenagers’ sleep
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ken Purnell, Professor of Education, CQUniversity Australia This year, students at The King’s School in Sydney are starting lessons later on Wednesdays. The start of the usual day has been pushed back from 8.50am to 9.40am. This is to allow students to do self-directed learning at home

Andrew Leigh maps the drivers of history’s big breakthroughs — and why they still matter
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martie-Louise Verreynne, Professor in Innovation and Associate Dean (Research), The University of Queensland Innovation is one of the most celebrated yet misunderstood ideas of our time. It is invoked in policy speeches, corporate strategy decks and university mission statements. But strip away the buzzword and what remains?

Australia can’t easily reduce its military dependence on the US, but with Canada, we can mitigate risk
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Disgraced former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming’s expenses revealed

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Former top cop Jevon McSkimming. RNZ / Mark Papalii

A night’s accommodation at a Wellington hotel a five-minute walk from Police National Headquarters and an excess baggage payment are among a series of expenses by disgraced former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

Last week, the Independent Police Conduct Authority released a summary of its investigation into McSkimming’s decision to invite a woman he was having an affair with – Ms Z – to stay with him in hotel accommodation paid for by police, on numerous occasions, primarily in 2016.

The affair took place between 2016 and 2018.

The IPCA said its investigation was “impaired by a lack of records of travel expenditure and credit card statements from the time, due to the nine to 10 years that has elapsed since the spending occurred”.

RNZ earlier requested a copy of all expenses made by McSkimming covering the time of his affair.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

Police responded with a screenshot of an expenses claim from 2017 and credit card statements for McSkimming covering the 2018 calendar year.

“New Zealand banks retain credit card statements for seven years after which records are no longer available. No additional expenses have been identified beyond those attached, and credit card records for 2016 and 2017 are no longer held as they fall outside the seven-year timeframe. Therefore, any additional credit card statements are unavailable, and Police has no reason to believe these records are held by any other agency.”

McSkimming’s work credit card had a $2000 limit. The 2018 credit card statements reveal he spent some time in Canada and the United States early in the year.

On 6 April McSkimming stayed at the Thorndon Hotel, about a five-minute walk from Police National Headquarters. The accommodation cost $121.

A significant number of expenses relate to purchases at Wellington International Airport.

In November 2018 there were some expenses at SkyCity Hotel in Auckland and a $229 payment for Audioblocks as well as an $80 excess baggage payment in Wellington. There was also an $80 transaction at Queenstown Airport.

He also spent $112 at Millbrook Resort in Arrowtown.

In December, there was a $147 payment at Wellington International Airport followed by a $98 payment later that month.

RNZ asked Police Commissioner Richard Chambers for comment on the expenses detailed in the OIA.

“This happened a number of years ago and without detailed records of the reasons for this expenditure, I cannot say whether it was appropriate,” he said.

“However, these expenses would have been considered against the travel policy at the time and were approved by a supervisor.”

Chambers said it was appropriate for police policy to provide for reasonable expenses for executive travel.

“Those expenses can include the use of hotels, parking, petrol and transport such as taxis. Such expenses should only be for work-related purposes, reasonable, and able to withstand public scrutiny.

“Last week, I sought reimbursement from Mr McSkimming for those hotel expenses for which he was found to breach the Police Code of Conduct, as set out in recent IPCA findings. As yet, there has been no response.”

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said the appropriateness of staff expenditure was a matter for police.

“My expectation is that policies involving use of taxpayer money should be clear, robust, and able to stand up to public scrutiny.”

The IPCA had not been able to review McSkimming’s credit card expenditure, and relied on the evidence of the complainant, McSkimming, his former executive assistant and one of his supervisors at the time.

“In 2016 and 2017 Mr McSkimming’s workplace was at Police National Headquarters in Wellington. He lived about 60-70kms away.”

McSkimming and his executive assistant at the time told the IPCA that he was regularly required to attend functions or late meetings in Wellington or catch early morning flights.

“On those occasions, his executive assistant would book accommodation at a Wellington hotel, paid for by Police. The rationale for these bookings was explained to us as being to avoid a long drive home after a work event, or where he was required to attend a social function to ensure he was not having a drink and then driving.”

The IPCA said the police travel policy at the time was “vague and unhelpful in providing guidance on the extent to which the examples Mr McSkimming gave were acceptable”.

“Beyond restatement of the principles applying to ‘sensitive expenditure’ as promulgated by the Office of the Auditor General, it did not provide any guidance on the use of hotel accommodation in circumstances such as Mr McSkimming’s, where the accommodation was in the same locality as the usual workplace.”

There was now an updated sensitive expenditure policy, which sets out the principles to be applied when spending taxpayers’ money.

Police travel policy at the time, and still, requires “the travel approving senior manager need only be informed where a partner, family member or friend accompanies a Police employee on travel at their own expense where they have made their own travel arrangement but intend to share travel facilities (eg accommodation…) that will be paid for by Police”.

McSkimming told the IPCA he thought Ms Z stayed with him eight to 10 times.

“This is corroborated by Ms Z. Mr McSkimming breached policy by not informing his senior manager approving the travel that she would be staying with him. If he had done so, we consider it highly likely that approval would have been declined.

“In any case, whether or not he informed his manager, he breached the Police Code of Conduct by staying in hotels at Police expense and inviting the woman with whom he was having a sexual relationship to join him. If he had paid for the hotels himself, that would have been a different matter. However, the fact that the hotels were paid for by Police gives rise to the perception that he was using taxpayer money to further a clandestine affair, thus bringing Police into disrepute.”

Chambers earlier said he was “very concerned” to learn of McSkimming’s use of hotels in Wellington and agreed with the findings of the IPCA.

“This showed a disregard for taxpayers’ money and Police expenditure policy.

“I intend to write to Mr McSkimming seeking reimbursement of the costs of these hotel stays.”

Chambers said as the IPCA report states, the police policy for sensitive expenditure requires spending to be reasonable and able to withstand parliamentary and public scrutiny.

Mitchell earlier said he welcomed the IPCA report and its findings which showed the investigations conducted by police were appropriate and adequate.

“Any misuse of tax-payer money is, under all circumstances, unacceptable. I support the Commissioner in his efforts to recoup these expenses.”

“It is my view that unless there are exceptional work-related circumstances, staff should not require hotel accommodation in the same centre as their normal place of work.”

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Zac Lomax switches codes, signs with Western Force

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Lomax played three tests for the Kangaroos. photosport

Australian superstar Zac Lomax is switching codes.

Lomax is leaving the NRL to join the Western Force with an eye on next year’s Rugby World Cup.

The move ends weeks of speculation surrounding his playing future, after he became one of the first official signings of the R360 league.

Lomax’s relationship with the NRL was further soured after he was locked in a legal battle in attempting to transfer from the Eels to the Storm.

The Storm are now required to pay $250,000 of Parramatta’s legal costs over the failed transfer bid.

He has signed with the Force on a two-year deal effective immediately.

“I’m incredibly excited and thankful to be joining the Western Force after reaching an agreement with Rugby Australia to make the switch to rugby union,” Lomax said in a statement.

“This is a huge opportunity and a challenge I’m really looking forward to embracing. Stepping into a new code will push me as a player and that’s something that genuinely motivates me.”

Lomax played for St George-Illawarra and Parramatta as well as representing New South Wales and the Kangaroos.

“The chance to be part of what the Western Force are building and to test myself at the highest level of rugby union is something that really excites me. Like any player, the dream of one day representing the Wallabies on a truly international stage and potentially competing at a Rugby World Cup is a powerful motivation.”

Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said Lomax is a “superb athlete” with a proven track record at representative level.

“We believe he has the talent and drive to make a successful transition to rugby. Zac brings a unique set of experiences and skills to our environment and is motivated by the challenge of competing on the global stage. We have entered an incredibly exciting period for Australian Rugby and Zac now has the opportunity to make a strong impression in Super Rugby Pacific and push for higher honours as we approach a home Rugby World Cup in 2027.”

The Force currently sit 10th on the Super Rugby ladder with one win and four losses.

This weekend they head to the capital to meet the Hurricanes.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

What is the ‘acid rain’ in the wake of US bombings in Iran? An atmospheric scientist explains

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabriel da Silva, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne

Reports are emerging of black rain falling over parts of Iran in the hours after US-Israeli airstrikes on oil depots on the weekend, with some outlets describing it as “acid rain”.

Iranian residents have reported headaches, difficulty breathing, and oil-contaminated rain settling on buildings and cars. Iran’s Red Crescent Society warned rainfall following the strikes could be “highly dangerous and acidic.”

As an atmospheric chemist and chemical engineer who researches air pollution, these reports are very worrying, and indicate much more than just acid rain.

This rain would include acids but also likely a host of other pollutants that are harmful to humans and the environment in the short and long term. It may even be worse than the term “acid rain” conveys.

More broadly, the thick clouds of toxic smoke over densely populated areas in Iran are also a major problem for anyone breathing this air right now.

What could this ‘acid rain’ be?

One of the primary ways air pollutants are removed from the atmosphere is through rain. When you have significant levels of pollutants in air they will be collected by falling water droplets and “rain out” of the atmosphere.

That’s why we are getting these reports of black rain falling from the sky after the oil depots were struck – evidence of just how contaminated the local air must be.

To me, this black rain indicates toxic pollutants such as hydrocarbons, ultrafine particles known as PM2.5, and carcinogenic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have made their way into the rain.

On top of this there would be a mix of other unknown chemicals, likely including heavy metals and inorganic compounds from the building materials and everything else caught up in the initial explosions and the ensuing fires.

The smoke from the bombed oil depots would also contain sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, which are precursors to forming sulfuric acid and nitric aid in the air. This acid then makes its way into water droplets, and is responsible for what we conventionally label acid rain.

The acid rain we heard so much about in past decades was primarily caused by sulfur dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels. Sulfur is naturally present in crude oil but is now mostly removed at the refining stage.

Aside from the rain, it’s worth remembering that all smoke is toxic; if you can smell it, it can be at levels that are harming you.

So that level of black smoke see over densely populated areas in Iran is extremely worrying and can cause chronic short- and long-term health problems.

What are the potential health risks?

In the short term, people exposed to this black smoke in Iran might have headaches or difficulty breathing, especially if they have asthma or lung disease.

Vulnerable populations – such as older people, young children and people with disabilities – are more at risk. Exposure to toxic air pollution during pregnancy can also lead to lower birth weights.

In the longer term, exposure to the compounds in the air and in this black rain is potentially increasing people’s cancer risk. When ultrafine particles (PM2.5) are inhaled, they can get into your bloodstream. This has been linked to a range of health impacts including cancers, neurological conditions (such as cognitive impairment), and various cardiovascular conditions.

Once these heavily polluted plumes of air have their pollutants rained into natural waterways, they can also start to affect aquatic life, as well as human drinking water sources.

Another issue is that this black rain is depositing these compounds on buildings, roads and surfaces, which means they can make their way back into the air when disturbed by strong winds.

A legacy of war

There has been growing attention on the environmental impact of conflict worldwide. Part of this has emerged in the wake of past wars in Iraq and Kuwait, where there was large-scale deconstruction of oil wells and the use of burn pits.

We now know there are long-term health impacts on returning service people, including Australians. So we can assume local populations are also profoundly affected.

In the short term, people exposed to this smoke and black rain in Iran should try to wear masks or face coverings, seek refuge from it, stay indoors, close doors and windows, and try to keep the air out. It is also important to clean hard surfaces where possible, particularly indoors, to reduce exposure to deposited pollutants.

On the ground, of course, this may be very difficult to achieve in the chaos of war.

– ref. What is the ‘acid rain’ in the wake of US bombings in Iran? An atmospheric scientist explains – https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-acid-rain-in-the-wake-of-us-bombings-in-iran-an-atmospheric-scientist-explains-277849

Asian and New Zealand share markets tumble

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Source: Radio New Zealand

NZX sign RNZ / Angus Dreaver

New Zealand and Asian share markets have tumbled as concerns mount about over the war in the Middle East and its impact on the world economy.

The benchmark NZX 50 fell 3 percent in mid-Monday afternoon trading, while across the Tasman, the ASX 200 fell 4 percent.

In Japan, the Nikkei plunged 6 percent.

It comes as global oil prices surge amid supply concerns, with travel through the vital Strait of Hormuz at a halt.

The benchmark Brent Crude rose to its highest level since 2022, as prices surged past US$100 a barrel, to settle at around $108.

Forsyth Barr investment adviser Mark Fowler said investors were nervous.

“I think the markets are starting to really speculate about how protracted this conflict is going to be in the Middle East,” he said. “And we’ve seen this enormous surge in oil prices.”

Fowler said there was potential for a global economic shock as prices flow through.

“Markets are starting to realise the reality of that sort of inflationary pressure,” he said.

“Everyone thought that this would be a short-term shock, but if it’s more medium-term, what are the wider ramifications for global markets? And you’re really starting to see concerns around that now.”

Kiwibank economists said “things are likely to get worse before they get better”.

“We’re bracing for much higher volatility, with a bigger market reaction in the near term,” they said.

“Our hope [is] that markets rebound quickly once the dust settles, as they did in 2022 following the Russia and Ukraine crisis period.”

Kiwibank said with disruptions to oil, gas and shipping, an immediate lift in inflation was “all but a done deal”.

“But the downside risks to global and domestic growth cannot be ignored either,” they said. “And ultimately, under this kind of supply shock induced inflation, it’s the damage to demand that is likely to dominate.”

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Diabetic patient dies in Waikato Hospital stairwell after urgently needed food delayed

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Waikato Hospital. RNZ / Simon Rogers

A diabetic patient collapsed and died in a Waikato Hospital stairwell after a delay getting urgently needed food.

The 79-year-old had a head injury and no pulse when he was found unconscious and alone by a passing nightshift doctor.

It was more than an hour after a nurse had gone to get him a sandwich to lift his blood sugar.

The Health and Disability Commission has just released a report severely critical of the care the man received in December 2019.

Waikato Hospital now makes sure the ward fridges are always stocked with snacks for diabetics.

The man, who had mild dementia and reduced mobility, was in the cardiac care unit after a heart attack.

The commission’s report said at about 9.30pm, he received a falling blood sugar reading of 4.4mmol/L and told a nurse he was worried about it.

At that level, his family had told nurses he could become unsteady on his feet.

The nurse went to get him a sandwich but there were none in the ward fridge so she had to go to another ward.

When she returned 10-15 minutes later he was not in his room so she left the sandwich by his bed.

Ten minutes later he was still not there and she wrongly assumed he was in the toilet.

A search for him did not begin for 55 minutes, the report said.

In reality, he had left his room and was last seen on CCTV footage at the snack machine.

He had walked past the nurses station and had been passed by seven staff members, none of whom appeared to check on him, the report said.

He had then gone out a fire exit and was not found until the passing doctor found him unconscious. He got help and tried to resuscitate him but could not.

By then the man’s blood sugar was just 1.8mmol/L, the report said.

Reaction from family and expert

In a written response to the commission after its initial findings, one of the man’s family members wanted to thank the health professionals who found him in “a severe hypoglycaemic crisis” and tried to save him.

“I can only imagine what it must have been like to stumble across a lost patient dying in a stairwell late at night.”

Health NZ had failed to keep the man safe, the family member said.

An expert nurse who reviewed the case, told the commission the man’s nurse should have made sure he ate the sandwich, especially because he experienced some memory loss and could have forgotten one was coming.

“Administering this very important snack is similar to administering medicine – you have to stay and watch the patient consume it,” the expert nurse said.

The initial delay in getting food was not the nurse’s fault but she should have checked if the man (Mr A) was there by knocking on the bathroom door when she returned.

“Not communicating with Mr A led to a cascade of terrible events,” the expert nurse said.

Waikato Hospital carried out its own adverse event review after the man’s death, the report said.

It found if the nurse had not had to go to another ward for a sandwich it would have allowed the man to get food more quickly and reduced the risk of him leaving the ward.

When his wife brought the man to the ED she had his medicine, his diabetic kit and his diabetic record book.

She had talked to staff many times about his needs.

But the family member told the commission the family was overlooked and not communicated with properly.

Very poor care

Deputy commissioner Carolyn Cooper gave her condolences to Mr A’s family.

“Mrs A was closely involved in her husband’s care, and his sudden death has been traumatic for her and the family,” she said.

Cooper found some of what happened was a severe departure from the expected level of care, and when it came to nursing management of his diabetes, it was “very poor”.

She was critical of the lack of food on the ward, the lack of communication with the man to make sure he had eaten, the delay in the search for him and the lack of a system to alert staff when a patient left the ward.

Health New Zealand’s response

Waikato Hospital now makes sure the fridges in all its cardiac units are checked to ensure there are enough snacks for patients with diabetes.

It has given staff more diabetes and dementia management training, with at risk patients now placed closer to the nurses station.

There is an alert system on the unlocked doors at the fire exit stairs.

In a response to questions from RNZ, Waikato Hospital’s chief medical officer Margaret Fisher said it had apologised to the family for the distress and the lasting impact from the incident.

The hospital accepted the commission’s findings that it did not meet the standard of care.

It had many of the improvements mentioned in the report and was also looking at creating a patient-tracking system in acute care areas, she said.

The hospital did not answer RNZ’s questions about how well staff the ward was on the night the man died.

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Super Rugby Pacific: Crusaders win a ‘turning point’ for Blues

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Blues winger Caleb Clarke scores a second half try during the Super Rugby Pacific – Blues v Crusaders at Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand. Photosport

Prior to the weekend, an uncomfortable question had started to form in the Blues camp.

An increasingly one-sided rivalry against the Crusaders had the Blues begin to wonder whether a mental block had crept in when facing the perennial powerhouses.

Heading into Saturday night’s 29-13 win at Eden Park, the Blues had won just three of 23 against the Crusaders dating back to 2014.

Skipper Dalton Papali’i, playing in his first home game since bringing up his 100th cap the previous weekend against the Brumbies in Canberra, has endured a rough run against the Cantabs during his Blues’ career.

“I’ve only beaten them twice before in my career, third time tonight. So it’s always been a tough ride against them. Every team has that one team you always struggle with.”

Blues coach Vern Cotter said earlier in the week that the record against the Crusaders spoke for itself, and may have acted as a motivator for his troops.

“It was said, so I think the players said ‘we’ve had enough of that.’ I think it was more about us than the record. It was about us playing our game, imposing our game on them and you see what happens. I think that’s a real turning point for this team, knowing that when we do it right and we focus on it during the week, then put it out in the paddock.”

Papali’i said the head to head history can be given too much credence.

“You talk about that mental barrier, and in the years that we’ve played them and we’ve lost, we maybe push it a bit too much throughout the week and talk a bit too much about them.

“But the times I have beat them, we focused on ourselves. You study the other team as you always do, but then you’ve got to look within yourselves and actually find the buttons that push you to go forward.”

The All Blacks flanker said despite dropping two of three to start their campaign, the confidence did not wane.

“Tonight was no surprise, the whole week we were building and we weren’t panicking on the results, we talked our forward pack wanting to be dogs out there.

“I feel like when we have our attitude right, then we’re a team that can decide games and it’s all on us. I felt like we had the foot on the throat the whole game.

“I always think it is for a statement game as a forward pack to go against these guys.”

Elsewhere, the Hurricanes continued their dominance over the Waratahs, picking up their ninth win on the trot to shoot back up to third after the Lautoka slip.

The pace-setting Brumbies suffered their first loss, coming in dramatic and controversial fashion against the Reds.

Moana continue to look listless without Ardie Savea, with the Chiefs maintaining their unbeaten run against the bottom-placed battlers.

Jamie Joseph put the disappointment of missing out on the All Blacks job in the rear with a quality Highlanders win over the Force, with Caleb Tangitau continuing his stellar season in Dunedin.

Try of the round: Cody Vai’i’s miracle at Eden, launching himself to sensationally snag a Beauden Barrett crosskick and expertly grass it inches inside the line.

Stock rise: Highlanders flanker Veveni Lasaqa put in an absolute shift against the Force, bagging a try, three pilfers and making 17 tackles.

Stock drop: Taha Kemara was given the fullback jersey in Will Jordan’s absence, but made little impact from the back against the Blues, and was subbed at half-time.

Super Rugby standings after four rounds:

1. Brumbies

2. Chiefs

3. Hurricanes

4. Blues

5. Waratahs

6. Reds

7. Highlanders

8. Crusaders

9. Fijian Drua

10. Force

11. Moana Pasifika

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Navy faces potential fine after Akaroa Harbour oil spill

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Oil spill from HMNZS Te Kaha is contained on Akaroa Harbour. Facebook/Environment Canterbury

Canterbury Regional Council is yet to decide if there will be any penalties for the Royal New Zealand Navy after a ship spilled hundreds of litres of oil in Akaroa Harbour.

About 200 to 300 litres of lubricating oil leaked from HMNZS Te Kaha on Sunday morning because of an oil cooler defect on the ship’s starboard engine.

The Defence Force (NZDF) said the ship was in Akaroa for a training exercise.

The council’s coast and harbours manager Guy Harris said crews had cleaned up most of the oil using absorbent booms. It was not a large spill, but the oil was quite toxic and “thick” for wildlife, although that made it easier for teams to pick up, he said.

“We’ve been on the water since first light doing observations. We still haven’t seen any more black oil but we are still seeing odd sheen, which is very thin layers of oil, and we’re chasing those down.

“We’re also doing shoreline observations looking for oil on the beach, on the rocks.

“This type of oil could be quite significant if it wasn’t captured, if it was in a more remote place or the weather wasn’t so forgiving or we couldn’t get to it, it could be quite damaging. But in this instance we did everything right, and we had a few things on our side as well.”

Harris said any enforcement action against the Navy was yet to be determined by the regional council.

Polluting ships could result in prosecutions or fines of thousands of dollars under the Resource Management Act.

Harris said there had been no reports of any oiled or sick wildlife so far, but teams were continuing to search the area. The oil spill did not happen in Akaroa’s marine reserve.

“We’ve been looking out for seabirds such as shags or blue penguins, there’s a few other birds that come and go but they’re the main ones we’d be looking for, and maybe red-billed gulls,” he said.

The HMNZS Te Kaha (file photo). SUPPLIED / US NAVY

Otago University professor of zoology Liz Slooten said she had serious concerns for dolphins and seabirds in the harbour.

She said seabirds could have their feathers covered in oil, causing them to lose their insulation, sink, drown or be unable to catch fish. Risks for marine mammals included breathing in polluted fumes, getting oil in their eyes, or eating contaminated fish, she said.

“There’s a whole bunch of health effects that will follow on from these animals taking in oil, or diesel or other petrochemicals, so it’s a really serious problem.”

She said bottlenose dolphins had been seen to lose teeth after swimming in contaminated waters in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, when 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled into the sea.

Slooten said it was concerning the Navy leak was the second spill in the harbour in the past two months, with more than 2000 litres of marine diesel fuel spilling from the Black Cat Cruises boat on 31 January.

Banks Peninsula councillor Tyrone Fields said Akaroa had had a “horror run” and news of another spill was disheartening.

“The health of the harbour there is really on the precipice, and I’d hate to think we’d consider doing future damage to it by continuing to pump wastewater into it. At some point we just have to start doing the right thing when it comes to our waterways.”

NZDF said the ship’s company had been working with the harbourmaster to clean up the slick.

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How hot is too hot for football in the Pacific?

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Source: Radio New Zealand

. PHOTOSPORT

Medical experts are warning sporting organisations need to do more to manage the risks of heat illness in football, after recent tournaments in the Pacific were played in extreme conditions.

During a recent World Cup qualifier, three Samoan players were struck down by heatstroke in temperatures nearing 40C, while another player in the OFC Pro League required hospitalisation after pushing his body to the limit.

Heat illness can be life-threatening in sport, and has led to deaths internationally.

Dr Mark Fulcher, chair of the Oceania Football Confederation medical commission and a doctor with Auckland FC in the OFC Pro League, has seen first-hand how dangerous it can become if risks are not properly managed.

“For some people, heat is probably a small thing. It makes them feel unpleasant, they might have a headache, they might need to go lie in an ice bath for a little while. But for some people, it’s a life-threatening condition, so it’s about having an awareness that it’s not a benign problem,” said Fulcher, who has worked in elite football for 20 years.

The Football Ferns’ first OFC Women’s World Cup qualifier against Samoa on 27 February was played in ambient temperatures in the late 30s in the Solomon Islands. It was a windless day with extreme humidity.

Samoa’s head coach Paul Ifill and Samoa’s Arianna Skeers at half-time during FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers 2027 at National Stadium Honiara. Joshua Devenie / Phototek.nz

Immediately after the match Samoa coach Paul Ifill questioned the conditions.

“We had a lot of people really struggling with the heat, we’ve got three players with heat stroke,” Ifill said.

“I think the organisers need to look at the timing, playing at 1 o’clock I don’t think is fair to the players … I’ve got players now that won’t be able to probably play for the rest of the tournament.”

It was not just the Samoan players feeling the heat in Honiara.

Football Fern Michaela Foster said the heat was something the players and coaches considered in the game plan during the tournament which wrapped up last week.

New Zealand warmup before FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers at National Stadium Honiara. Joshua Devenie / Phototek.nz

“It is hot, the humidity has been quite challenging … in this heat we obviously want to minimise the unnecessary running.”

Fulcher said more needed to be done to manage the risk for all athletes – and it was beyond looking at the forecast.

“Sporting organisations and the people leading the organisations need to understand that this is potentially a very serious issue.

“If you look at North America there are several people that die every year from heat illness in sport.

“If you look at the NRL, they’ve had a recent issue with a fatality that was linked to heat illnesses.

“So I think we really need to look at where are these tournaments being held, when in the day, looking at historical data around temperatures and things like that to help make those determinations. Then there needs to be very clear education of all the stakeholders about the risks of heat illness and how we can mitigate those.”

Is it too hot in the Pacific Islands to be hosting tournaments?

Samoa’s Tielua Baptista is shaded by her team mates after going down injured during FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers 2027 in Honiara. Joshua Devenie / Phototek.nz

Fulcher believed there would be locations and times of day that it would become too hot to safely host football tournaments – and cancellations would need to be considered.

He had some concerns about recent tournaments in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

“The rules and regulations that we need to have for tournaments in the Pacific are probably different to the rules and regulations that you might see in the UEFA Champions League,” he said.

The world cup qualifiers were not the only football games being played in this part of the world with a lot resting on the results.

Round two of the new OFC Pro League was in Papua New Guinea in early February where the conditions in Port Moresby were described as extremely hot and humid.

A Solomon Kings player was hospitalised after a win over Auckland FC in PNG after pushing through in a match that took a physical toll on the players.

Fulcher said in these scenarios players could be their own worst enemy.

“Athletes are not very good at self-regulating and saying, hey, I’m feeling a bit hot. They want to push themselves and often push themselves until they fall over and they can’t do it anymore.

“The things that make them good athletes, that they’re not quitters, often mean they don’t know that they’ve got a problem until they’ve got quite a big problem.”

Auckland FC’s Liam Gillion and PNG Hekari FC’s Rex Naime at Santos National Football Stadium, Papua New Guinea. Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.nz

Fulcher compared the situation athletes at [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/575322/tennis-atp-open-to-formal-heat-rule-after-string-of-retirements-in-shanghai-sauna the Australian Open in tennis, which is played annually in January and where players could be playing for hours in temperatures in the 40 degrees Celsius, to what the footballers were dealing with.

“If it was very hot in Melbourne, the medical infrastructure in Melbourne to deal with the Australian Open is extremely good, both in terms of experienced clinicians at a tournament and experienced clinicians in a large tertiary hospital.

“Whereas if you have heat illness in the Solomon Islands, I would say the infrastructure available at the ground, the infrastructure available at the hospital, the ability to then travel to a tertiary hospital or somewhere for additional care, it’s quite a different environment.”

Fulcher believed players travelling from the likes of New Zealand to the islands could do little to prepare for the conditions that included “very big temperature change and no real scope to acclimatise to that”.

“There are lots of publications that talk about protocols of training and heat chambers and these sorts of things, and there’s a small amount of adaptation you can do before you travel.

“But that requires significant resourcing, and that’s also not always available to some of these teams and players.

“So I think number one, it’s only partially effective and number two it’s logistically difficult to implement.”

What are the rules?

American Samoa’s Ayana Kirisimasi at a drinks break during FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers 2027. Joshua Devenie / Phototek.nz

During the OFC Women’s World Cup qualifiers in the Solomon Islands there were drinks breaks and cooling breaks. Cooling breaks allow all players to go to their respective bench/technical area and use ice and cold towels to cool down when the mercury rises.

Governing body FIFA has also introduced three-minute hydration breaks for this year’s men’s Football World Cup in Canada, USA and Mexico.

Under the new policy, regardless of the temperature, referees will stop games 22 minutes into each half so players can rehydrate.

FIFA said this will streamline and simplify the previous rules, which required cooling breaks 30 minutes into each half when the temperature at kick-off exceeded 32 degrees Celsius.

A report published last year by Football for the Future, Common Goal and Jupiter Intelligence found 10 of the 16 venues for this year’s men’s world cup, across the three host countries, are at very high risk of extreme heat stress conditions.

Fulcher said cooling is an important strategy to try and get players to reduce their core body temperature but in “isolation they’re pretty futile”.

“The cold hard reality is often the conditions are extremely hot and cooling breaks, while they’re better than nothing, are not effective strategies.”

Over his decades involved with football and New Zealand national teams Fulcher had experimented with giving players very cold water and cold water with ice slurries during drinks breaks.

“It is very difficult to consume enough of the very cold water or ice slurries to make a meaningful difference.

“In the same way that a car with a full radiator can still overheat, players are still going to overheat despite being well hydrated.”

‘Scope to improve things’

Support staff Mark Fulcher, Wade Irvine and Roland Jeffery at Estadio Azteca for the All Whites final training session in Mexico City ahead of FIFA World Cup 2014 Intercontinental qualifying match in 2013. Andrew Cornaga / photosport.co.nz

Fulcher has been on the medical staff with New Zealand football teams that have travelled across the Pacific, Africa and “other areas where it is very, very hot”.

From what he has seen with the OFC Pro League he said the staging of the tournament itself and the preparation around the tournament by teams and officials was an improvement on what has happened in the past in the region.

“There’s still scope to improve things.

“There have been some things in these tournaments that I think have gone really well. For example, the provision of equipment to treat heat illness, circulating advice around how to manage heat illness in advance so that teams are prepared.

“These sort of things, I think, are relatively small steps, but they are definitely steps in the right direction.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

The four stages of the mental load explained

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Source: Radio New Zealand

If you’re responsible for the mental load in your home and feel that burden isn’t understood, supported or recognised, this article is for you.

Because the mental load is invisible and constant cognitive and emotional labour involved in managing a household or family life, it can be hard to quantify.

All that organising, planning and remembering isn’t a “normalised form of work”, even though it’s relentlessly present, says Allison Daminger.

Cognitive labour is the “thinking part” of the mental load.

Unsplash

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Search continues for person swept out to sea near Greymouth

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police were still investigating if a kayak washed up near Blaketown on Saturday night was linked to the missing person, who was yet to be identified. SUPPLIED/POLICE

West Coast police are still looking for a person swept out to sea near Greymouth.

Emergency services received a report that a person was in trouble in the Greymouth/Blaketown area at 6pm on Saturday.

Senior Sergeant Mark Kirkwood said rough seas and white caps were making the search difficult.

“The search resumed this morning, where police, with the assistance of Precision Helicopters, conducted aerial searches of the shoreline between Ross and Charleston,” he said.

Police were still investigating if a kayak washed up near Blaketown on Saturday night was linked to the missing person, who was yet to be identified.

Police, Fire and Emergency and Surf Lifesaving staff had been involved in the search, with a specialised floating device deployed to replicate where the person might have drifted.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Papakura incident ends with person covered in blood, another arrested

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police and paramedics at the site of an incident in Papakura, Auckland, 9 March 2026. Melanie Earley / RNZ

One person has been arrested and another is in hospital following what police say is a family harm related incident in Papakura, Auckland.

A witness told RNZ they had seen a person covered in blood outside a property on Eastburn Street at about midday.

RNZ saw a number of police officers and paramedics at the home. A person could be seen sitting in the back of one of the police cars while paramedics appeared to be working on another person in the driveway.

Two people RNZ spoke to, who did not want to be named, told RNZ the street regularly experienced incidents. One said she had been stabbed a few days earlier while breaking up a fight.

They had not heard any commotion on Monday until they went outside about midday and saw police arriving and a person standing outside with blood on them.

They said police were a common sight on the street.

Police at the scene declined to comment, but in a statement later said one person was in custody and another transported to hospital with moderate injuries following a family harm incident.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader? And would he bring change – or more brutal suppression?

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehmet Ozalp, Professor of Islamic Studies, Head of School, The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation, Charles Sturt University

The death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, during the holy month of Ramadan marks one of the most consequential turning points in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

His successor, his son Mojtaba Khamenei, represents both continuity and contradiction in the revolutionary system established after the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

At stake is not only who leads Iran, but what the Islamic Republic has become, nearly half a century after the revolution that promised an end to dynastic rule.

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei?

Mojtaba Khamenei is a cleric who has spent most of his career outside public office but close to power, working within the Office of the Supreme Leader. He was often seen as a gatekeeper and powerbroker rather than a public political figure with a formal portfolio.

At 17, he briefly served in the Iran–Iraq war. He only began attracting public attention in the late 1990s, by which time his father’s authority as supreme leader was firmly established.

Over time, his reputation has centred on two key features. The first is a close relationship with Iran’s security establishment, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and its hardline networks.

The second is a strong opposition to reformist politics and Western engagement.

Critics have linked him to the suppression of protests following the disputed 2009 presidential election. He is also believed to have wielded influence over Iran’s state broadcasting organisation, giving him indirect control over parts of the country’s information landscape and state narrative.

In 2019, the first Trump administration sanctioned Mojtaba, accusing him of acting in an official capacity on behalf of the supreme leader despite holding no formal government position.

Mojtaba’s legitimacy as leader

Iran’s constitution dictates that the Assembly of Experts (an 88-member clerical body) selects the supreme leader.

The assembly lists the religious, political and leadership qualifications of possible candidates. But in practice, it is not a neutral electoral body. Candidates for the assembly itself are vetted through institutions ultimately shaped by the supreme leader’s orbit, and its deliberations are opaque.

This creates a familiar Iranian scenario – the constitution supplies the choreography, while the security-clerical establishment supplies the music.

That matters when assessing why Mojtaba is seen as a viable supreme leader amid critiques he lacks the senior religious standing traditionally associated with the office.

A mid-ranking cleric, he was only given the title ayatollah in 2022. The title is necessary to become supreme leader, so the promotion signalled he was being groomed to take over from his ageing and ill father.

The revolution’s founding myth was clearly anti-dynastic. After toppling the shah, the revolution’s leaders rejected hereditary rule.

To many Iranians, a son following his father as supreme leader looks like an ideological backslide. The regime appears more like a theocratic monarchy, less the famous “guardianship of the jurist”.

Yet, it is also important to be precise. Mojtaba cannot inherit the position by bloodline alone. The assembly must select him.

Still, political systems can become dynastic without rewriting constitutions. Dynastic outcomes emerge when informal power networks, such as family ties, political patronage, security ties, and control over the media, can make one candidate appear more natural, safe or inevitable.

That has essentially been the Mojtaba story in Iran for years: a man who built influence not by winning elections, but by managing the gate to the most powerful office in the country.

The circumstances of Ali Khamenei’s death add another layer of significance and, ironically, legitimacy to Mojtaba’s ascension.

Iraqi Shiites carry a replica of a coffin of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a symbolic funeral in Najaf, Iraq. Anmar Khalil/AP

For many Shi’a Muslims, being killed during Ramadan carries deep symbolic resonance. The first imam of Shi’ism, Ali ibn Abi Talib, was assassinated during the dawn prayer in Ramadan in 661 CE, an event still commemorated each year by Shi’ite Muslims.

Shi’ite historical memory places strong emphasis on martyrdom. In particular, the death of Husayn ibn Ali, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at Karbala in 680 CE, symbolises the struggle between justice and oppression.

Because of this tradition, violent deaths of leaders in the past and today are framed within a broader narrative of sacrifice and resistance.

Iran’s revolutionary ideology has long drawn on these themes. If the state presents Khamenei’s death in this light, it could strengthen a narrative of martyrdom and defiance.

This, in turn, gives his son Mojtaba an aura of religious legitimacy that is very strong in the Shi’ite Muslim psyche.

How different would he be from his father?

This is the most consequential question for Iran. The answer is likely less different than many might expect.

Ali Khamenei was a figure of the revolutionary generation. His authority rested on ideological legitimacy, decades spent amassing and consolidating power, and his ability to arbitrate between competing factions. Over time, he became the system’s final referee.

Mojtaba Khamenei, by contrast, is often portrayed as a product of the security establishment, rather than a public theologian or statesman. He is known less for speeches or religious authority than for his influence and the networks he has built behind-the-scenes coordination.

If that assessment is correct, the shift would be from a leader who balanced institutions to one who may lean more heavily on the might of the IRGC. This would deepen an existing trend toward the securitisation of Iranian politics.

In a period of war and instability, regimes typically prioritise continuity and control. Mojtaba’s appeal to the establishment, therefore, appears to rest on several factors:

  • his close ties to the IRGC and intelligence networks
  • his long experience inside the supreme leader’s office
  • his ideological alignment with hardline positions sceptical of reform and Western engagement.

A figure trusted by the most powerful security institutions also reduces the chance of power struggles or fragmentation at the top.

IRGC members participating in a military drill in the Persian Gulf in February, before the war broke out. Sepahnews/EPA

What might this mean for the war?

A new supreme leader rarely produces an abrupt ideological shift, especially during a military conflict. Continuity is the more likely outcome.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s profile suggests a more security-centred style of leadership with three possible ways forward.

First, domestic control may harden. Given Mojtaba’s reported ties to the security establishment, unrest is more likely to be met with swift repression rather than political accommodation.

Second, the IRGC could expand its influence in regional affairs, given how closely aligned Mojtaba is with the guards.

Third, any negotiations with the West would likely be tactical rather than transformative. They would be framed as a strategic necessity rather than an ideological shift.

And given the fact his father was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes, this will only reinforce a more hardline posture toward both countries.

In short, Iran under Mojtaba Khamenei would likely remain confrontational in rhetoric, but pragmatic when regime survival is at stake.

– ref. Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader? And would he bring change – or more brutal suppression? – https://theconversation.com/who-is-mojtaba-khamenei-irans-new-supreme-leader-and-would-he-bring-change-or-more-brutal-suppression-277483

Man who drowned in Waimakariri River was trying to save dog

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Waimakariri River (file photo). 123RF

Police say a man who drowned in Canterbury’s Waimakariri River was trying to save his dog.

Emergency services were called to the river at 4.30pm on Sunday. The man died at the scene.

Christchurch metro area commander Superintendent Lane Todd said the drowning was tragic and the dog had not been found.

The man’s death has been referred to the coroner.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Anonymous survey for supermarket suppliers too scared to speak out

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Unsplash / Tara Clark

The Commerce Commission says suppliers are scared to speak up about how they’re treated by supermarkets, so it’s running an anonymous survey to capture their experiences.

The commission’s first survey, held in 2024, revealed suppliers felt they had limited ability to negotiate with the big players.

Commerce Commission head of groceries Alice Hume told Nine to Noon power is tipped heavily in big retailers’ favour, with suppliers afraid to speak out.

“If you think about the dominance of the supermarkets, they’ve got 80 percent of the market.

“If you’re a supplier, and if you’re only dealing with one or two of them, that could be most of your business that’s on the line, so … it is a real valid concern for suppliers.”

There were rules in place to address the power imbalance, Hume said.

“But we still need to know from suppliers the things that they’re really concerned about.”

The 2024 survey revealed concerns about “delisting”: how supermarkets decide whether to pull products from their shelves, Hume said.

The Grocery Supply Code, which governs negotiations between suppliers and supermarkets, now forces supermarkets to be transparent about that, she said.

Suppliers also have a right to appeal through an independent dispute resolution service, Hume said.

The survey would help the Commerce Commission identify the biggest problems it needs to focus on.

Woolworths and Foodstuffs have been approached for comment.

Suppliers pressured, lack power – 2024 survey

The 2024 Grocery Supplier Survey found some suppliers felt pressured into “unfavourable terms”.

They felt there was a lack of transparency and communication about pricing, terms and decision making processes, and smaller suppliers felt “neglected or sidelined” in favour of larger players.

Suppliers rated Woolworths most positively, followed by Foodstuffs North Island.

“Foodstuffs North Island lags behind, with negative ratings outweighing positive across all measures,” the report said.

It said suppliers appreciated suppliers’ responsiveness, and clear communication.

This year’s survey closes on 17 March.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Two hurt in crash near Taihape

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Source: Radio New Zealand

File image. Pretoria Gordon / RNZ

Emergency services are at the scene of a serious two-vehicle crash on State Highway 1 north of Taihape.

Two people are reported to have serious injuries. There is also an oil spill on the highway, near Spooners Hill Road.

Police said there may be disruption to traffic and a diversion was in place through Spooners Hill Road.

Police asked motorists to please avoid the area or expect delays.

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KiwiRail director Scott O’Donnell quits board two years early after only months in role

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Scott O’Donnell (file photo). Otago Daily Times / Laura Smith

KiwiRail director Scott O’Donnell will step down from the KiwiRail board of directors on 24 March, cutting short an appointment more than two years ahead of schedule.

Board chair Suzanne Tindal said a new venture will require him to spend more time in Australia.

O’Donnell was appointed to the board in July 2025 on a three year term. He is one of the four directors of Dynes Transport Tapanui, which donated $20,000 to NZ First in July 2024.

When Minister for Rail Winston Peters announced O’Donnell’s appointment he noted that a conflict of interest management plan was in place related to O’Donnell’s business interests.

Peters told RNZ the donation from Dyne’s Transport played no part in O’Donnell’s appointment to the board and that he was aware of the extent of the conflicts of interest.

At the time, Peters said O’Donnell would be effective in his role.

“As Mr O’Donnell has direct experience in the freight sector among other things, a conflict-of-interest management plan has been developed and will be followed while he is a director of KiwiRail,” he said.

Peters said Treasury did not advise against the appointment of O’Donnell.

During Parliament’s ‘scrutiny week’ in December last year, where MPs publicly examine public agency performance, Tindal said O’Donnell’s conflicts of interest affected the board’s capability and efficiency.

She said “more importantly” that directors needed to consider whether they could discharge their duties as required in accordance with the Companies Act.

Documents released under the Official Information Act (OIA) to RNZ show Tindal expressed unease about O’Donnell’s business interests before his appointment and recommended he be removed from a process to make his role official while the conflicts were analysed.

Tindal said Scott’s interest in HW Richardson (HWR), which owns 46 companies, could prove a test of loyalties for him.

The OIA documents showed Tindal checked publicly available information in the Companies Office register and hand-drew what she described as an “interests diagram”, which included 11 companies. This was later redrawn by Treasury staff.

Some of the 10 companies he is involved with supply services to KiwiRail, and the conflicts required Treasury to put a management plan in place.

O’Donnell’s appointment went ahead, but with a slew of measures in place to manage any conflicts between his new role and the 10 companies he is involved in – many of them in transport.

The conflict of interest mitigation plan contained seven measures to manage conflicts, including recusing himself from board meeting discussions where there was a conflict of interest.

O’Donnell attended at least three KiwiRail board meetings and RNZ knows of at least one item O’Donnell had to step aside for in December. He also missed two agenda items at the end of the December meeting as he needed to leave early.

“Mr O’Donnell will be thanked for his service at our Board meeting on 24 March, which will be his last day as a KiwiRail director,” Tindal said in a statement. He leaves after having served fewer than seven months of an appointment that was due to finish on 31 August 2028.

A statement from the HW Richardson Group said O’Donnell brought a strong commercial focus to KiwiRail’s non-freight operation during his time on the board.

The conflict of interest management plan is outlined below.

The mitigations for these companies outlined in the plan include:

  • Where appropriate, limiting or eliminating access to sensitive, confidential or restricted information on issues or work relating to KiwiRail, including rail network options or Cook Strait ferries
  • Additional scrutiny of board agenda and papers prior to sending to Scott O’Donnell.
  • At the beginning of every Board meeting, or prior as necessary, Scott O’Donnell would be required to declare if any item on the agenda could create a conflict for which he feels recusal is necessary. Such instances would need to be documented.
  • Where appropriate recusal from any meeting or part meeting/agenda item with the Board or Ministers on these issues where confidential information giving rise to the conflicts discussed, (noting that this may impact on quorum arrangements)
  • At the Board’s discretion Scott O’Donnell would be recused or refrain from participating in, any discussions and decisions, where a personal interest is determined.
  • The Board reserves the right to invite Scott O’Donnell to recuse himself if the Board feels it is inappropriate to include him in discussions and decisions.
  • Advising KiwiRail, the Minister for SOEs of these actions

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Drivers flock to pumps as oil passes US$100 a barrel

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Cars in a queue for petrol at Tasman Fuels in Epsom, on Sunday 8 March 2026. RNZ / Luka Forman

Petrol stations across the country are seeing a surge of drivers filling up as tensions in the Middle East push the global oil prices higher.

The benchmark Brent Crude rose 18 percent or by US$18 to US$110 a barrel shortly after trading resumed this morning at 11am NZT.

Over the weekend, RNZ spoke to drivers queuing at a petrol station to get in before the price goes up.

“The later I leave it, the more the petrol prices are going up. This is more expensive than yesterday,” one woman said.

“Probably the price will go up again tomorrow, I think, so even I’m only half full, it’s good to get some petrol in there,” a man said.

Waitomo Group chief executive Simon Parham told Morning Report the demand at the company’s petrol stations went up 15 to 20 percent over the past week as people tried to get in before prices increased.

“Over the last week, we’ve seen the Singapore Platts price go up by about $60 a barrel.

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years and that’s probably one of the biggest spikes I’ve seen.”

Marika Khabazi

Parham said prices would move more in the next week and fuel supply was being managed carefully.

There was 20 days stock in the country and cargo was arriving by ship every other day, he said.

“I think we’re in a reasonably good place. It’s a good reminder that over 80 percent of the supply doesn’t go through the Strait of Hormuz.

“There’s other actions out there globally, such as the US, softening the sanction on India to enable them to buy Russian crude. That will help the market and help supply free up a little bit.”

Parham said his advice to customers was to not panic buy, but to look out for a good deal.

“There’s always a good deal on any given day. Don’t get distracted by someone offering a 10 cent per litre discount.

“It’s the net price, which is the true test of competitiveness. So go out there, look around, use Gaspy, there’s tools out there, so look for the best deal.”

Earlier, Mike Newton from Gaspy told First Up the queuing at petrol stations over the weekend was similar to when a fuel brand ran a big discount day.

He said the higher cost was mostly done to companies pricing in future oil increases that they were expecting.

“They won’t be buying their oil at these high prices just yet, but they know that if they put the prices up once they start buying it at those higher prices then it’s going to be a massive shock to the consumer,” he said.

“They try and just briefly increase it and make it a bit more palatable to the consumer.”

He said the prices were standard across the board, but they did notice that diesel was going up faster than the other grades of petrol.

AA Transport policy advisor Terry Collins told Morning Report companies were also raising the prices to manage the risk.

“Hopefully, when the prices drop, they’ll likely come down as fast.

“We don’t want to have what is known as the rocket and feather effect when, due to these geopolitical events, the price rocket up and then when it subsides and the price of oil comes down, we don’t want to see the prices come down like a feather.

“We want to see them equally come down as fast as they went up.”

Collins said he wasn’t worried about shortages at this stage.

He said that was dependent on how long the conflict lasted, and how long the Strait was closed for.

His advice to motorists was to fill up a full tank because he expected an upwards trajectory in prices for the rest of the March.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

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