Secondary teachers have voted to accept the government’s recent settlement of their collective agreement.
It includes a 4.6 percent pay increase over two years, raises allowances for teachers in management or special roles, and monetary and time allowances for people responsible for overseeing NCEA assessments.
A $1 million per year fund will also be available for professional learning and development for teachers.
However, the Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) said it was disappointing that the Public Service Commissioner did not address members’ claims for pastoral care staffing for students.
More to come…
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If you’ve ever been on the sidelines at an under-12’s team sport, you will know that some children are fiercely competitive, while others are there simply to socialise.
In the workplace, two colleagues might respond differently to the same piece of feedback, where one will go into overdrive to prove themselves, while the other will easily move on.
And we all know what happens on family Monopoly nights. It’s the ultimate reminder that competitiveness can test even the closest relationships.
Being more or less competitive has advantages and disadvantages, and these depend entirely on the context. But what actually shapes these differences in how competitive we are, and can we choose to change?
What exactly is competitiveness?
Competitiveness is more than just wanting to win. It is a complex tendency to strive to outperform others, and evaluate success by comparing ourselves to those around us. People may enjoy aspects of being competitive, with satisfaction coming from both the effort involved, and from performing well.
Competitive behaviour may be related to motivation for self improvement as well as individual achievement. If we’re highly motivated to win, improve performance and evaluate ourselves in comparison to others, we may be more prone to be highly competitive.
From an evolutionary perspective it has also helped us to survive. As a social species, our competitiveness can allow us to gain resources, status and, importantly, relationships.
The personality traits of extraversion and conscientiousness have been found to be higher among individuals who are more competitive. These traits are related to goal-directed striving, persistence and assertiveness – all integral when it comes to competitiveness.
For instance, research has found that higher parental involvement and expectations can positively influence academic achievement, but also may make children more competitive.
Competitiveness is also interpreted and expressed differently across cultures. Traditionally individualistic cultures may be more outwardly competitive, while collectivist cultures may be more indirectly competitive in an effort to preserve group cohesion.
If you’re being indirectly competitive, this might manifest as withholding useful information from others, comparing yourself to others a lot, or closely watching the success of your peers.
Can we measure competitiveness?
Research suggests competitiveness is multifaceted, and different measures emphasise different psychological processes.
While there are several questionnaires available that measure someone’s level of competitiveness, there’s still debate around what underlying dimensions these measures should capture.
For example, a 2014 study developed a measure that involved four dimensions: general competitiveness, dominance, competitive affectivity (how much the person enjoys competing), and personal enhancement.
In addition, another attempt to measure competitiveness published in 2018 found that enjoyment of competition (motivation and perceived value), and conscientiousness (being assertive) were the most important dimensions to measure.
All this shows that competitiveness is not a single trait. Instead, it’s a cluster of related motivations and behaviours.
What are the pros and cons of being highly competitive?
Studies suggest that if individuals are more focused on their social rank, and rank themselves unfavourably, they may be more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. In fact, one process of competitiveness – social comparison – has been consistently linked to poor mental health outcomes.
In the context of individual performance, competing against a higher performer may enhance performance, according to a study where participants were asked to perform a neurocognitive test. However, cooperation, even with a lower-performing partner, was associated with equal levels of achievement.
What’s more, this study found that competition was associated with increased physiological arousal and stress, while cooperation was not.
Is it possible to become less competitive?
While there are some personality traits we might not have control over, we can change some aspects of our competitiveness.
Behaving in a more pro-social way – through greater cooperation, sharing and helping – may reduce your competitiveness.
Additionally, revisiting the ways in which we evaluate and relate to ourselves may contribute to developing a more balanced and adaptive relationship to competitiveness. Acceptance and commitment therapy and compassion-focused therapy can be helpful in supporting these changes.
Ultimately, the research in this space is complex and there is more to learn. While a moderate level of competitiveness can be beneficial, it’s important to balance the cost. Think about your goals – are you in it to win at all costs? Or to do your best and make friends?
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
It is now (almost) official: Tasmania will finally take its place in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Tasmania, a foundation state of the nation’s homegrown game of Australian rules football, has trod a tortuous route, with great drama, over its plan for a 23,000-seat indoor stadium precinct at Macquarie Point on Hobart’s picturesque waterfront.
To cement the club (known as the Devils, and featuring the state colours of myrtle green, primrose yellow and rose red) as the AFL’s 19th team, Tasmania needed parliament to approve the ambitious and costly project.
But it was no sure thing to pass the upper house, with many independents either against the project or unsure about the mooted A$1.13 billion price tag.
For a small state, this is a huge commitment: Tasmania will pay $375 million plus the remainder in borrowings, and costs have already blown out since initial estimates.
The federal government ($240 million) and AFL ($15 million) will also chip in.
As part of the Devils’ licence, the club will receive $360 million from the AFL. Much of this will be earmarked for grassroots investment – upgrades to local grounds, talent pathways and a high performance centre.
By securing the support of independents Bec Thomas, Tania Rattray, Dean Harriss and Casey Hiscutt, there are now enough votes for the stadium precinct to pass.
The final vote is likely to happen late on Thursday or even early on Friday morning.
The Devils will now almost certainly enter the AFL and AFLW in 2028, although the stadium won’t be ready until 2029 at the earliest (the team will play at existing AFL venues in Launceston and Hobart until then).
I analysed the economics
I addressed the state’s Legislative Council sub-committee last week on the economic and social benefits of the team and the stadium precinct.
Rattray and Thomas both asked constructive questions. The Greens, who had grilled others during this emotive debate, were absent from the chamber when I spoke.
The independents were rightly concerned about governance principles, fiscal sustainability and commitment to grass roots as well as elite sports.
The Tasmanian government has committed to all of those areas, enabling them to support the stadium-precinct.
During the lead-up to the vote I delved into the economics of the team and stadium precinct with many people at the heart of the issue. These included Brendon Gale (Devils CEO), Tasmanian Tourism Chair Grant O’Brien, business leader Kelly Elphinstone, Christine Finnegan (CEO of the state’s highly successful basketball team the JackJumpers) and Brad Van Wheely (a sports and technology expert).
I analysed not only at the up-front costs of the team but also the long-term benefits.
Gale told me:
[There will be a huge] economic, financial, social, cultural, psychological uplift […] and also an uplift that gives to the state and to our youth.
You know, this gives a reason for people to stay. It gives pathways, jobs, people work productively, pay taxes.
I also drilled into the cost-behefit analysis of the project, the downstream costs and benefits, and the psychological boost of Tasmania having its own team on the national stage.
Another crucial benefit will be the impact an AFL team will have on sports participation in the state and the social capital benefits across Tasmanian regional communities as well as Hobart and Launceston.
I also looked at smart stadium technology and sports innovation, benchmarking across international stadiums as well as the “JackJumper effect” of Tasmania’s basketball team. This would be turbocharged by the Devils, given Tasmanians are some of the most passionate supporters of Aussie rules football.
My conclusion was this was a once-in-a-century opportunity to build a multi-purpose stadium precinct that will host multiple elite sports as well as a range of creative and cultural activities, and business events.
More hard work begins now
The triumph for the Devils and stadium supporters in the Legislative Council finally ends this long saga, and puts the Devils on a smoother path to 2028.
The AFL has long stated the Devils would not go ahead without the new stadium.
Now it has been given the green light, and the Devils can get to work in building the footy side of things ahead of becoming the AFL’s 19th team.
Tim Harcourt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Air NZ said it had now reached agreements “in principle” with unions representing its regional turboprop and widebody jet cabin crew.AFP
Air New Zealand says there will no longer be strike action affecting long-haul or regional travellers, but disruptions to its domestic, Tasman and Pacific services are still possible.
Cabin crew announced last month they were planning to walk off the job for 24 hours after failing to reach an agreement with the airline over pay and conditions.
Air NZ said it had now reached agreements “in principle” with unions representing its regional turboprop and widebody jet cabin crew.
“As a result, the strike notices for these fleets have been withdrawn,” a spokesperson said.
“We are continuing to make progress with our narrowbody jet cabin crew agreements and will provide further updates as soon as we can.”
There were currently no changes to flights, the airline said.
“Our focus remains on reaching agreements that avoid disruption.”.
Andrew Coster when he was in charge of the police.RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Analysis – Headline writers have had their fun calling it ‘Coster’s Last Stand’, and like the general’s doomed battle, it ended with a crushing fall.
The comparison falls apart pretty quickly after that. Yes, Andrew Coster leaves behind a mixed legacy, but the former police boss will never gain the folk-hero sheen of his near-namesake.
Public Service Commissioner Brian Roche struck a somewhat conflicted tone in his interviews on Wednesday.
“It was sobering to read of a number of missed opportunities which should have proceeded differently and more appropriately,” Coster wrote.
One of the most startling sections of the IPCA report described how Coster tried to shut down an official investigation, even contacting the IPCA directly to encourage a quick wrap-up.
“He sought to bring a serious criminal investigation to an unduly rapid conclusion so that it did not impact on a job application process,” the report found.
With rhetoric like that, it is little wonder some people may be wondering why Coster is not facing criminal charges.
The answer lies in that IPCA report. As both Coster and Roche pointed out on Wednesday, it did not uncover corruption or an intentional cover-up.
What it found was a colossal lapse in judgement and an almost inexplicable disregard for proper process. That is serious misconduct, but not criminal offending.
That nuance partly explains why the saga dragged on for three weeks. It is a fair question as to why it took so long when the conclusion felt obvious.
Roche’s explanation is that he had to tread carefully to ensure the process was lawful and defensible. It’s noteworthy that Coster’s failings occurred in a previous job, not his current one.
Certainly, the outcome would have been far worse had it ended up in the courts.
Coster leaves with three months’ salary in lieu of notice – roughly $130,000.
Roche insists the payout was required under the contract, though it’s not clear whether that would’ve been the case had Roche formally dismissed him, as he says he was prepared to do.
Again though, the situation could’ve been much worse for the taxpayer. Coster still had four years left on his contract.
In his statement, Coster began the work of repairing his reputation. There was no hedging, nor deflecting. He accepted “full responsibility” for police shortcomings and apologised both to the woman at the centre of the case and to the wider police force.
Coster ended with a simple admission: “I am prepared to take responsibility – I got this wrong.”
What we have not yet heard are those words spoken aloud. Coster has not fronted media or taken questions.
He closed his statement with a suggestion he might return to public service “at some point in the future”.
If he hopes to return to a leadership role, it will take far more than just a written apology to rebuild trust.
Despite warnings of motorway gridlock and potential delays finding a carpark, traffic was free flowing in the area with Google Maps showing a 16-minute trip from Auckland CBD and no congestion at the Mt Wellington off-ramp.
Eager shoppers gathered outside the Mt Wellington store, with some telling RNZ they arrived as early at 4.45am.
Drivers had been warned to expect 40-minute queues today, with traffic analysts expecting crowds of up to 20,000 a day to visit the store.
In a “worst case” scenario, they predicted a 40-minute crawl on the nearby motorway and another 40 minutes to find a car park.
The Swedish furniture store opened officially at 11am, while the carpark was opened to shoppers at 8.30am.
An RNZ reporter at the store estimated around 800 were gathered outside including Bernie, who had driven over two-and-a-half hours from Papamoa, saying he and hsi wife had waited six years for the opening.
“We chose to open at 11am so that we avoid the morning traffic,” IKEA’s NZ manager Johanna Cederlöf said.
Other shoppers told RNZ traffic had not been as bad as anticipated, and the carpark was not yet full.
Speaking to media following the ribbon cutting, Christopher Luxon welcomed what he said was a “long time coming” and evidence of “really good foreign investment in New Zealand”.
“This is great for competition, this is great for consumers across New Zealand and actually, you’ve seen other retailers welcome the move as well.”
Hundreds lined up to enter NZ’s first IKEA store.Marika Khabazi / RNZ
Asked whether welcoming the Swedish retailer with open arms is a slap in the face for local businesses, Luxon said competition will “make them better”.
“They should step up and compete, and I know they will.
“There are a lot of retailers that are welcoming the competition. It will make them better and it will actually be a good thing for New Zealanders.”
What will the roads be like?
Auckland Transport and NZTA encouraged road users to plan ahead for the day and allow plenty of extra time for their journeys.
Auckland Transport Operations Centre (ATOC) Manager Claire Howard said substantial crowds were expected at IKEA for weeks or even months which would have a substantial effect on the transport network across Auckland.
“Surrounding streets in Mt Wellington will also be busy, with forecast delays of up to 40 minutes on Mt Wellington Highway in peak traffic.”
ATOC – a joint Auckland Transport and NZTA venture for managing the network in real time – has been working with the retail giant to ensure their traffic management plan minimises the traffic impact as much as possible. It would be actively managing light signals and diverting traffic where possible as congestion levels increase.
Congestion was expected to be at its worst during peak hour during the week and on Saturdays between 1 and 4pm – particularly heading northbound from South Auckland toward Mt Wellington.
Staff would be on the ground at Sylvia Park Train Station to help direct people to the store who were travelling by train.
IKEA’s NZ manager Johanna Cederlöf, said for anyone who wasn’t in Auckland or who wanted to avoid the opening day crowds, they could shop online from midnight as a way to beat the crowds.
Ulla Bennett drove from the North Shore at 4am to be one of the first in line.RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Shoppers enter the store.Marika Khabazi / RNZ
More shoppers enter the store.Marika Khabazi / RNZ
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was on hand for the ribbon cutting.Marika Khabazi / RNZ
Prime Minister Christopher LuxonMarika Khabazi / RNZ
People queue to enter IKEA on its opening day in AucklandMarika Khabazi / RNZ
Mel has been waiting here since 4.45am, she says.RNZ / Finn Blackwell
IKEA’s famous meatballMarika Khabazi / RNZ
Shoppers gathered outside.Marika Khabazi / RNZ
IKEA is opening at 11am to avoid morning traffic.Marika Khabazi / RNZ
Traffic analysts are predicting a 40-minute wait to enter the IKEA carpark at peak timesMarika Khabazi / RNZ
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
The proactively-released document said changing references to the treaty in the Education and Training Act was significant and controversial and could lead to conflict that would distract from the government’s education goals.
The advice preceded the government’s surprise decision to delete a clause in the act that required schools to give effect to the treaty.
The government said the treaty was the Crown’s obligation, and the clause could be confusing for schools’ governing boards.
The ministry report dated 19 September said the treaty’s articles were relevant to education in multiple ways.
It said the Crown had an obligation to support Māori educational success and to support kaupapa Māori education.
“In summary, we do not recommend changes to Te Tiriti provisions in the Act without further engagement and design with Māori. This is because of the clear guidance to Ministers and public service departments on the constitutional position of Te Tiriti,” the report said.
Evidence supported the importance of reflecting students’ language and culture to achieve good results, it said.
“We recommend retaining an emphasis on inclusivity in schools, including providing an environment that recognises and values a Māori student’s culture, and, where possible, uses te reo Māori. While this principle of inclusivity can be applied to any group of students, the rationale for having legislative codification of this for Māori is based on the Crown’s obligations towards Māori under Te Tiriti.
“Whether to change the existing legislation, as with questions of fairness, turns on the constitutional position of Te Tiriti. Under current constitutional settings, we recommend retaining reference to the role of Tikanga and te reo in supporting the educational success of ākonga Māori,” the report said.
The education system included multiple taonga and the Crown was obliged to ensure Māori had the right to make decisions over resources and taonga they wished to maintain, it said.
Officials had discussed the Act’s treaty references with the Education Minister’s Māori advisory group, the report said.
The group’s key points included that: “high-level Tiriti clauses in legislation have significant direction-setting effect, and are important as a signal to Māori of the Crown’s intentions, it said.
“Educational success for ākonga Māori is dependent on institutions and teaching staff who understand and have the capability to deliver on their responsibilities under Te Tiriti.”
The group also indicated that it was important the Crown worked in good faith with Māori on the development of treaty references, it said.
There was evidence that ensuring te reo and tikanga Māori were supported in schools was good for Māori students’ achievement.
“Learning in an environment where a culturally responsive pedagogy is the norm significantly improves outcomes for Māori,” the report said.
The government’s reforms to introduce a more knowledge-rich curriculum, regulate the teaching profession and schools’ accountability for their outcomes would also benefit Māori learners, it added.
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Imagine a 57-year-old woman, let’s call her Maria, who’s just opened a letter about her mammography results. She’s had several mammograms before, but this time reads new information: “Your breasts are dense”.
While the letter assures her that dense breasts are common, it also indicates it could make it harder to see breast cancer on the mammogram.
Maria is confused about what to do next and wonders if she should be worried. Does she need to see her GP?
Maria may be fictional but she reflects the findings from the first trial of its kind we publish today.
We show women notified they have dense breasts alongside their mammogram result are more confused and anxious, do not feel more informed, and have greater intentions to see their GP for advice.
Remind me, what is breast density?
Dense breast tissue appears white on a mammogram and can hide (or mask) a cancer, which also appears white.
Dense breasts are very common. About 25–40% of women are considered to have dense breasts.
Breast density is one of several independent risk factors for breast cancer. After years of consumer advocacy, more women are being told about their breast density when they get their results from breast cancer screening.
The idea is simple: let women know if they have dense breasts – something that can raise cancer risk and make mammograms harder to read – so they can decide whether to get extra testing, such as an ultrasound or MRI.
Notifying women about their breast density is now legislated in the United States, recommended in Australia, and is being considered in other jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom.
This is despite the lack of robust evidence on whether the benefits of notifying breast density at screening outweigh potential harms for women, and the impact on health services.
What we did and what we found
Our trial was co-designed with BreastScreen Queensland. From September 2023 to July 2024 we randomised 2,401 women (average age 57) who had a clear mammogram (their mammogram didn’t show cancer), but had dense breasts, into three categories:
Control: no notification of dense breasts (standard care)
Intervention 1: notification of breast density as part of the screening results letter plus extra written information in a leaflet
Intervention 2: notification of breast density as part of the screening results letter plus a link to extra information in an online video.
Eight weeks after screening, we found women notified they had dense breasts felt more anxious and confused about what to do about their breast health compared to the control group.
They also did not feel more informed to make decisions about their breast health, and had greater intentions to discuss this with their GP.
We haven’t followed participants for long enough yet, nor was the trial specifically designed to see if notifying women about their breast density led to extra cancers being detected.
The trial also had some limitations. For example there was a low proportion of women from non-English speaking backgrounds.
However, this is the first randomised trial world-wide to evaluate the immediate impact of breast density notification on women in the context of mammography screening.
It provides evidence for breast screening programs internationally to carefully consider the potential impact of such notification.
What next?
In Australia, where breast density notification is now recommended, it is important we acknowledge that the topic of breast density may be confusing and some women may be worried.
Communicating about breast density, including public messaging, should be focused on density being one of many risk factors for breast cancer and that there are other potentially modifiable ways to reduce a woman’s overall risk.
This includes maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active, reducing alcohol intake, and not smoking. Messaging should also emphasise that mammograms remain the best way to screen for breast cancer in most women even if they have dense breasts.
GPs need to be prepared to have conversations with women about breast density and their overall risk of breast cancer. This includes discussing the benefits and harms of extra screening (via ultrasound, MRI or contrast-enhanced mammograms) that can detect cancers not found on mammograms.
Extra screening may lead to adverse effects such as false-positives – apparent abnormalities that, after further evaluation, are found not to be cancer.
Extra screening is also not equitable for all women due to out-of-pocket costs and limited availability through public services.
We need better pathways for evidence-based, equitable care in Australia so the benefits of notifying women about their breast density indeed outweigh any adverse consequences for women and the health system. These pathways need to be evaluated to ensure they are feasible, acceptable, effective and equitable.
Brooke Nickel receives fellowship funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). She is on the Executive Committee for Wiser Healthcare and the Scientific Committee of the Preventing Overdiagnosis Conference.
Nehmat Houssami receives funding from the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), and the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC). She is a member of the Expert Advisory Group for the BreastScreen Australia National Policy & Funding Review (2023–25).
The lakes on the world’s biggest sand island, K’gari, are famous. Pivotal to the World Heritage listing of the Queensland island formerly known as Fraser Island, their turquoise waters feature in international tourism campaigns and social media posts.
K’gari has more than 40 unique lakes, some more than 55,000 years old. They range from the photogenic clear waters of Boorangoora (Lake McKenzie), pictured above, which filters through the sand dune it rests in, to the emerald-green waters of Lake Wabby, a window lake which is (very) slowly being swallowed by a giant sand dune.
In fact, K’gari is home to more than half of the world’s perched lakes, more than 50, including Boorangoora. Perched lakes form when sand is cemented together with decomposed organic matter (such as leaves and bark), aluminium and iron. This creates an impermeable layer well above sea level. It’s remarkable these lakes exist, given water usually passes quickly through sand.
Until now, it was believed K’gari’s lakes would have contained water since the last ice age ended, about 11,500 years ago. But our new research found some of the island’s deepest lakes dried out only 7,500 years ago. In the current era of climate change, it’s possible this could happen again.
Lake Garawongera is a tannin-stained perched lake, which is isolated from deeper, larger groundwater sources. John Tibby, CC BY-ND
The eyes of K’gari
For the island’s Traditional Owners, the Butchulla people, these lakes are the “eyes of K’gari” and their waters are sacred. The Butchulla believe they have been entrusted with an eternal responsibility: to preserve K’gari’s beauty, spirit, waterways and lakes so future generations may experience the same connection.
K’gari is home to two key types of lakes. Perched lakes (described above) are the best-known type, while window lakes, filled by rain and groundwater, are so named because they offer a “window” to groundwater below the land.
The climate history of these lakes is recorded in their muddy sediment. What happens in and around the lake gets “written” into the layers: plant pollen tells us about local vegetation while greater amounts of sand might indicate erosion.
Ocean Lake. In the foreground is a day waterlily, an invasive species on K’gari. Dave Sternberg, CC BY-ND
A gap in the record
In our research we found this sediment was missing from some of K’gari’s oldest lakes between 7,500 and 5,500 years ago. This gap in the record was identified by radiocarbon dating of sediments from K’gari’s Lake Boorangoora, Lake Allom and Basin Lake.
This gap in sediment suggests the lake basins were not then covered by water. This can happen when there is not enough rainfall over decades. Many Australian lakes dried up during more than the decade-long Millennium Drought.
Our findings were unexpected. We would not have expected the lakes to dry up, as the sediment gap happened during the current Holocene geological epoch, during which global temperatures have varied by less than one degree and moisture has been abundant.
Recent sediment research from another major sand island, Minjerribah (or North Stradbroke Island), shows this island was wetter than K’gari during the same period. Why, at a time of relatively mild climate variation, was it generally wetter just 250 kilometres south? We think southeasterly trade winds supplied rainfall to Minjerribah but not K’gari.
Researchers at Lake Garawongera. From left to right are Conway Burns, Caitlin Jones, Margaux Dupuy, Harald Hofmann and Bob Broome. John Tibby, CC BY-ND
Future of a special place
Our findings highlight the pressing need to know much more about K’gari’s beautiful lakes. In a warming climate expected to become drier but punctuated with more intense rainfall, are these lakes at risk of evaporating? At the moment, we simply don’t know.
For most lakes on K’gari, there’s no information about how much water they hold or even how deep they are. The little information available from a few simple surveys hints that lakes were generally deeper in the 1970s.
In response, we have started surveying the underwater depth and topography of the lakes, using automated monitoring devices to measure how much they fill and drop. Gathering data to understand the water inputs and outputs of today’s lakes will help us better interpret the past – and possibly model the future.
While we are concerned about the future of these lakes, K’gari hosts the greatest diversity of fish and amphibians of any Australian island, hinting at a resilience to climate-driven changes.
In our scientific work, we also try to follow Butchulla teachings. These are: what is good for Country comes first; do not touch or take anything that does not belong to you; and if you have plenty, you must share.
“Gung K’gari Marigurim Yaa”: K’gari’s water makes voice strong.
John Tibby received project funding from the Australian Research Council, the Queensland government and the Environment Institute at the University of Adelaide.
Harald Hofmann has received funding from the Queensland government and CSIRO.
Conway Burns does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
New Zealand weightlifter Litia Nacagilevu.All Shots Media
Weightlifting New Zealand is hoping Aotearoa will have its first female Commonwealth Games gold medalist next year as an impressive group of young lifters come through the ranks.
The sport has just completed its national championships, with more than 100 lifters taking part from around the country and the South Pacific.
Significantly, almost two-thirds of the athletes competing were women.
Two world-ranked teenagers were the stars of the event, Olivia Selemaia and Litia Nacagilevu dominating their divisions.
Selemaia, 19 – who finished eighth at this year’s world championships – set Oceania and national records in winning the 69kg class, while 18-year-old Nacagilevu – who finished ninth at the world champs – also broke records in the 86kg class.
While the two have impressed on the world stage, Weightlifting New Zealand president Simon Kent said the depth in the sport had grown significantly and they were now seeing the results of investment at the school level.
“Especially the women’s depth has grown in the last half-a-dozen years,” Kent told RNZ.
“The number of clubs has grown and there is good involvement with our community schools programme Lift for Gold. We’ve really invested, there is more exposure and more young people are getting to have a crack at the sport.
“From a high-performance perspective, we’ve really targeted investing in these young ones over the last couple of years and they’re now coming through.”
New Zealand weightlifter Olivia SelemaiaAll Shots Media
As a result, Kent expected as many as a dozen lifters (six men and six women) could compete at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with the hope that a woman could come away with New Zealand’s first weightlifting gold medal.
New Zealand has won 40 weightlifting medals at the Commonwealth Games over the years, including 12 gold. They have included victories for legends of the sport like Precious McKenzie, Tony Ebert, Don Oliver, Graham May, Darren Liddel, Richie Patterson and David Liti.
Since women’s weightlifting was added to the Games programme in 2002, the closest a Kiwi has come was the silver medal won by Olivia Baker in 2002.
“The one thing missing is we’ve never had a female win a gold medal, and we think with this young group coming through there is every possibility that that could happen next year,” Kent said.
“What Olivia [Selemaia] has done over the last year proving that she is genuinely a world class athlete and not far behind is Latia [Nacagilevu], who is also demonstrating that she has wonderful potential.”
Both those lifters have stiff competition in the Commonwealth, but Kent was confident they could contend for titles, and as teenagers they still had a long way to go in their careers.
All the major contenders for the New Zealand Commonwealth Games weightlifting team will compete at the Oceania Championships in Samoa in April, which will be the last qualifying event before the Games.
Selemaia, Nacagilevu and David Liti were all ranked in the top three in the Commonwealth and all-but assured of selection for the Games.
Robertson spoke to media on Thursday following the draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, which has New Zealand in Pool A with hosts the Wallabies, Hong Kong China and Chile.www.photosport.nz
The All Blacks end of season review will be completed by the end of January and coach Scott Robertson is ready for the “interrogation” headed his way.
Robertson spoke to media on Thursday following the draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, which has New Zealand in Pool A with hosts the Wallabies, Hong Kong China and Chile.
The All Blacks are coming off a year in which they won 10 of 13 tests with three defeats. They retained the Bledisloe Cup but couldn’t win back the Rugby Championship nor complete the Grand Slam on their end of year tour and fell to a record loss at the hands of South Africa.
Those defeats, a pattern of poor second half performances and the team’s struggles to adapt to their rivals’ change of tactics have left many pundits questioning whether the All Blacks are getting better.
Scott Robertson said the review process was nothing new.www.photosport.nz
Consequently, there is plenty of interest in the end of season review and Robertson said it had begun.
“It’s pretty much an interrogation, right from the top to the bottom,” Robertson said.
“It’s a great tool for us to get feedback as coaches, and the whole group from the players and all the management.
“People are gathering (info now). But in the new year, that’s when the information is disseminated out.
“We have an All Blacks camp (in January) and then the team (input) and the board (input) and all that (review) information will be had by the end of January.”
The review process was nothing new, Robertson said.
“We have someone that travels with us the whole time that’s reviewing.
“There’s online stuff, there’s also the group stuff that the team do while they’re on tour, you sit down one-on-one, you talk to all the leaders and get their feedback, so there’s a personal touch to it as well, so that’s all being gathered.”
George Ford of England celebrates victory over the All Blacks.www.photosport.nz
The players would be involved in the review and it would be full and frank, Robertson said.
He was confident the review would show the team was improving less than two years out from the next Rugby World Cup.
“There’s a lot to do before that. There’s a lot of rugby, there’s a lot of chances for us to go and get better in areas, and as a team, and hone in like everyone else. Like I said before, World Rugby is the closest it’s ever been.
“We’ve got some really good competition across the squad and there’s a lot of depth in our squad. This year we had the most injuries we’ve ever had as an All Black squad and so it did create opportunities for other players.
“We want to be four deep in each position and we’re starting to get there and we’ve got another super rugby competition for someone to come in and play really well and put pressure on the current side to play well and pick themselves for the All Blacks next year.”
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Police have yet to find any trace of a man who went missing near Te Aroha three weeks ago.
Waikato man Louis Van Der Walt, 44, was last seen on the morning of 13 November when he parted company with family during a walk on Mt Te Aroha.
“Police Search and Rescue teams and LandSAR volunteers have searched the area extensively since Louis was reported missing, alongside a number of other enquiries,” Detective Senior Sergeant Kristine Clarke said on Thursday.
“Unfortunately we have not yet located any sign of Louis, and we are appealing for anyone out and about in the area to be vigilant for anything which may assist us in locating him.”
He was wearing a blue T-shirt, brown shorts and jandals.
Louis Van Der Walt.Supplied / NZ Police
Anyone with information was urged to call 105 and quote file number 251114/9651.
The Vega (formerly Aratera) is currently in Nelson Harbour.Supplied / Jason Grimmett
Former Interislander ferry Aratere is still in New Zealand waters despite being retired in August and sold for scrap in October.
So why is it still here?
It was taken out of service to make way for port infrastructure needed for the arrival of two new rail enabled ferries which are due to be delivered in 2029.
In October, Interislander executive general manager Duncan Roy said it was not suitable to be used for most ferry operators due to its age and the fact it would require significant modification or specialist port infrastructure.
“Therefore, we have pursued a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible recycling option.”
Since then, the ship has been bobbing around Wellington Harbour, and at the time of reporting, was in Nelson Harbour.
It had a new name, Vega, and all its Interislander logos removed – including the ferns on its exhausts which had been painted over.
Why has it not left New Zealand yet?
The reason the ship was not on a beach in India right now was because of the Basel Convention – an international treaty which controls the movement of hazardous waste.
For New Zealand, the Environmental Protection Authority makes sure the country met its obligations to the convention.
One of those was ship dismantling which the convention noted does have sustainability benefits through recycling materials.
But the practice has had a history of taking advantage of developing countries and exposing people to health and environmental risks such as asbestos and oils.
Supplied / Jason Grimmett
For the Aratere (now Vega) to be released under this practice, its new owners had to complete an application with the EPA.
The authority said it was now complete but its counterpart organisation in India had not given permission for the ship to enter India yet.
“We cannot finalise the export application until the Competent Authority in India has granted consent for import.”
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The tino rangatiratanga haki (flag) outside Parliament on the day of the Treaty Principles Bill introduction.RNZ / Emma Andrews
The country’s largest education union, NZEI Te Riu Roa, is backing a claim by Northland iwi and hapū for an urgent Waitangi Tribunal inquiry into the government’s decision to remove school boards legal obligations to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
A statement of claim was filed on 19 November 2025 on behalf of Ngāti Hine and Te Kapotai, alongside a joint application for urgency.
The claimants say amendments to the Education and Training Act, and the reset of the New Zealand Curriculum – Te Mātaiaho, undermine Māori rangatiratanga, partnership, and equity in education.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said at the time that Te Tiriti was the Crowns responsibility and not schools.
“School boards should have direction and we are giving very clear direction. You need to ensure equitable outcomes for Māori students, you need to be offering te reo Māori and you need to be culturally competent,” she said.
A map of schools across the country who have reaffirmed their commitment to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi despite the government removing schools boards legal duty to do so.Supplied / Google Maps / Chris Abercrombie
NZEI President Ripeka Lessels said principals and school boards were frustrated the change was made without any engagement.
“It seems to be the preferred pathway of this government to not consult about a whole lot of things,” she told RNZ.
“Not consulting shows this government is absolutely hell-bent on dismantling the Treaty of Waitangi in every aspect of the law.”
Lessels said the move risks weakening commitments to tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori within school plans and the local curriculum, “preventing ākonga Māori from ever seeing themselves or their culture reflected in what they learn.”
“The education system has under-served ākonga Māori, and this move to remove Treaty obligations from school boards is a regressive step that can only lead to further systemic disadvantage.”
She said the effects would be wider than just Māori learners, and the issue was ultimately about ensuring all ākonga see their language and identity valued in the place they spend most of their day.
“Language, culture and identity matter. They absolutely matter for children, irrespective of whose language, culture or identity it is. And in Aotearoa today, the Treaty of Waitangi is our founding document.”
NZEI President, the head of the country’s largest education sector union.NZEI supplied
In the last few weeks, Te Rārangi Rangatira, the list of schools who have reaffirmed their commitment to continue giving effect to Te Tiriti, has drawn criticism from government MPs.
Education Minister Erica Stanford previously told media she had heard from principals who felt “very unfair” and “nasty” pressure to sign the statements.
At that same standup, Stanford also reinforced her commitment to “fight for our kids.”
“My message to schools is what we expect is achievement to improve, especially for our tamariki Māori and if those schools are doing all of the things that we’re asking of them in section 127, including offering to being culturally responsive and ensuring that tamariki Māori have equal outcomes, and then if they wish to… honour the treaty or uphold the treaty over and above that, then they’re absolutely welcome to do that.”
In a Facebook post, National MP for Tauranga Sam Uffindell also described the statements from schools as “frankly disgusting” and alleged that unions were “standing over principals” to pressure them to sign what he described as “an anti-govt pledge.”
Lessels rejected claims that schools were being “pressured.”
“I think both of those MPs are out of touch with how schools operate,” she said.
“Schools are independent, autonomous bodies, and they’re self-managing … I don’t know a principal or a board that would ever let anything happen that they didn’t believe was right.”
A growing number of schools across Aotearoa are reaffirming their commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, despite the government removing school boards’ Treaty requirement from the Education and Training Act.Supplied
Many schools had shifted their practice since the Education and Training Act was introduced four years ago, Lessels said, integrating Māori language, culture and identity into teaching and school planning.
“Since 2020, schools have understood the importance of children’s culture, identity and language …They can see there is value in endorsing the Treaty of Waitangi in their schools or working towards it.”
Evidence showed that centring children’s identity improved outcomes a particularly for Māori learners in kura kaupapa Māori – and that removing the legal duty to honour Te Tiriti went against that evidence, she said.
“It’s not rocket science. This removal is definitely not based in sound educational policy or even educational evidence at all. It’s an ideological political move.”
If the Tribunal granted urgency, the claim sought intervention preventing the repeal from taking effect.
The outcome they wanted was for the government to “reverse the policy,” and she encouraged whānau to remain strong through the process, Lessels said.
“Our schools genuinely want to make a difference for their children, and honouring Te Tiriti is the foundation of that.”
The Education Minister declined RNZ’s request for comment.
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RNZ earlier revealed about 130 staff were under investigation throughout the country after 30,000 alcohol breath tests were “falsely or erroneously recorded”.RNZ
The New Zealand Transport Agency has halted $6m worth of funding to police until it’s satisfied police have met their breath test targets.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop says it’s a “prudent decision” by NZTA which he welcomes, calling the breath testing issue “very concerning”.
RNZ earlier revealed about 130 staff were under investigation throughout the country after 30,000 alcohol breath tests were “falsely or erroneously recorded”.
Following an Official Information Act request from RNZ, police released 150-pages of information in relation to the breath screening tests investigation.
On October 7, after an initial request for information from police, NZTA sent several follow-up questions to police including details as to other avenues police were investigating to detect further irregular breath tests outside of the existing algorithm.
Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz
The 30,000 breath tests related to an algorithm that determined if a second test took place within 90 seconds of the first, whilst the distance between the two indicated a speed of more than 20 km/h.
Police have released 150-pages of information in relation to the breath screening tests investigation.Supplied / NZ Police
In response, Acting Deputy Commissioner Mike Johnson said while the algorithm had “proven effective” in identifying tests conducted while the device was in motion, “there remains limitations in detecting all forms of irregular testing, including those undertaken in specific locations”.
“Work remains underway to identify what, if any, options exist for removing these limitations.”
Then, on 16 October, NZTA’s Road Policing Investment manager Neil Macrae emailed several people including Johnson and director of road policing, Superintendent Steve Greally.
In the email Macrae referenced the government’s $1.3 billion Road Policing Investment Programme (RPIP).
The programme includes increased alcohol breath tests with a target of 3.3 million roadside alcohol breath tests per year and a focus on high-risk items, with a requirement that 65 per cent of breath tests are done at high or extreme alcohol risk times.
Macrae said while NZTA recognised “current limitations” in detecting all forms of irregular testing, they supported and “encourage” police to identify what, if any, options exist for removing the limitations and to look beyond current detection methods “to ascertain the true scale of irregularities”.
He said that while the police’s investigation into irregularities continued, NZTA’s reporting was “on hold”.
“NZTA’s reporting includes the RPIP Quarterly report to Minister(s), assessment of RPIP Q1 (2025/26) delivery dependant funding and the Annual Assurance report to the NZTA Board that was due to be presented 23 October 2025.
“Delaying the assurance report to the board also delays the approval process for variations to the current programme including the ‘open roads speed measure’.”
Macrae said the decision to delay the assurance report was taken at chief executive level. NZTA would also meet with Audit NZ to discuss implications on their public statutory reporting.
In response to questions from RNZ, an NZTA spokesperson said they had requested police provide assurance that delivery numbers for breath screening tests and the wider road policing activity measures for the 2024/25 financial year were correct.
“We are working with police to verify the final results. We paused our usual end-of-year reporting to the NZTA Board and the Minister of Transport until we are satisfied that the final results are a full and accurate record of police delivery during the 2024/25 financial year.”
The bulk of funding for road policing activity (of $103 million per quarter) continued to be available to policePolice
Each year, $24 million of funding from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) for the RPIP is dependent on the successful delivery of all speed and impairment activities to agreed specified annual levels, known as delivery dependent funding (DDF).
“Delivery against these measures is assessed on a quarterly basis, and a pro-rated amount of DDF is available to be authorised to spend ($6 million per quarter).
“Until the current issue with reporting on breath testing is resolved, NZTA has paused assessment of the $6m in delivery dependent funding for the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year.”
The spokesperson said any funding from a quarter where DDF was not met remained available for subsequent authorisation in the same financial year, if targets are met.
“Any funding not authorised to be spent at the end of the financial year is required to be returned to the NLTF.”
The bulk of funding for road policing activity (of $103 million per quarter) continued to be available to police, the spokesperson said.
In a statement to RNZ, Bishop said “this is a prudent decision by NZTA and I welcome it. The breath testing issue is very concerning and it is important it is resolved.”
Transport Minister Chris BishopRNZ/Mark Papalii
NZTA warns of ‘clear breach’ of no surprises expectation
On 25 September, more than a month after the tests were identified, NZTA’s group general manager Richard Forgan wrote to Johnson and said they were notified of the matter on 22 September.
Forgan said that given NZTA’s role as investor and providing monitoring and assurance in relation to the Road Policing Investment Programme (RPIP) the integrity and accuracy of the delivery against the measures was “paramount”.
Forgan instructed the Road Policing Investment team in NZTA to look further into the data integrity issue with “urgency” and requested a series of information from police.
Forgan also took issue with the length of time it took NZTA to be notified.
“In addition to the issue regarding the data irregularity, the memorandum of understanding between us clearly states a ‘no surprises’ expectation.
“The fact this issue was first discovered in late August, the Minister of Police was briefed on 12 September and NZTA only informed via the Minister of Transport’s office on 22 September is a clear breach of this expectation. I reinforce NZTA’s expectation that we are to be advised of such matters early.”
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The most popular search topics in New Zealand in 2025 on Google included Kiwi sports stars and celebrities like David Parker, Liam Lawson and Lorde, overseas celebrities like Ozzy Osbourne and Jimmy Kimmel, and notable news stories like the death of Charlie Kirk.File / RNZ / AFP
Labubu. Viral ice cream. Tom Phillips, wind warnings, and how to make butter.
Google has announced the top trending searches for New Zealand in 2025, and it’s a snapshot of the wild, weird year that’s nearly over.
The single biggest search term in Aotearoa this year had little to do with New Zealand – it was the American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was not well known here before his death in September.
But right up there in the top ten were also the death of Tom Phillips after a four-year search for the missing man and his children, weather events like Cyclone Alfred and the long-dead American serial killer Ed Gein, subject of a popular Netflix series.
Oh, and the All Blacks. There’s always the All Blacks.
Google New Zealand’s communications and public affairs manager Carrie Jones told Morning Report the results provided interesting data about what Kiwis are thinking about.
“This list of top trending searches spanned pop culture, lifestyle, sports, news – and they’re the queries that had the greatest spike in interest this year as compared to last year.
“So they give us a really good insight into what Kiwis were curious about.
“This year the searches paint a picture of a population that was pragmatic, hyper-vigilant and digitally aware.
“One thing that is consistent year on year is we are sports mad and the All Blacks are actually the most-referenced search term of the past five years.”
With a new album out, Lorde remained a top search topic in New Zealand this year.Supplied / Universal Music
When it came to Kiwi searches, boxer Joseph Parker, ACT Party deputy leader Brooke van Velden, former Green MP Benjamin Doyle, singer Lorde and F1 driver Liam Lawson were among the top queries.
Celebrities who passed away in 2025 were also frequently searched, such as Ozzy Osbourne, Gene Hackman and Diane Keaton.
Another hot spot in the top 10 was health searches.
“Interestingly in our overall searches list we saw searches for COPD treatment and osteoporosis treatment, perhaps showing Kiwis taking health matters into their own hands,” she said.
Jones said Google has also seen a sharp increase in people using search as a real-time safety tool for events like cyclones, tsunami warnings and storms.
“Our desire for information about these immediate weather hazards has never been more pronounced.”
“Kiwis are searching for urgency around local matters such as wind warnings, rainfall warnings and tsunami warnings and also showing interest in engagement and political processes. So we saw searches for how to make a submission for the Treaty Principles Bill, for example.”
Jones said that last search showed a desire to participate rather than just gather information.
“We see a shift from lots of reading, maybe just looking for headlines, moving more to actionable paths to engagement. So, ‘how to make a submission to the Treaty Principles Bill’ shows Kiwis’ interest and a desire to be involved, rather than just participate and read.”
“I think there is a natural scepticism of new technology. I think there is real excitement around the opportunity that AI can present and how it can make a real difference in our society, whether it’s through health care or across different industries.”
And with food, “There were two main flavours that came through our searches this year,” Jones said.
“So we had Dubai chocolate, pistachio cream and matcha coming through, people wanted to know how to make Dubai chocolate, how to make pistachio cream. That was sort of the unexpected flavour duo of 2025.”
Courtesy of Google, here’s the full lists of trends in New Zealand for 2025:
Slain American political commentator Charlie Kirk was New Zealand’s top overall search in 2025.ANGELA WEISS / AFP
Overall searches
Charlie Kirk
COPD treatment
Osteoporosis treatment
Tom Phillips
All Blacks vs France
Ozzy Osbourne
Cyclone Alfred
Iran
Ed Gein
Club World Cup
Kiwis
Joseph Parker
Benjamin Doyle
Lorde
Liam Lawson
Daniel Hillier
Kai Kara France
David Nyika
Brooke Van Velden
Chris Wood
Stuart Nash
Deaths
Charlie Kirk
Tom Phillips
Michelle Trachtenberg
Gene Hackman
Hulk Hogan
Diane Keaton
Val Kilmer
David Lynch
Robert Redford
Jane Goodall
People
Belle Gibson
D4vd
Diogo Jota
Pope
Andy Byron
Luke Combs
Jimmy Kimmel
Tyler Robinson
Kendrick Lamar
Prince Andrew
Local moments
Wind warning
Rainfall warning
Tsunami warning
Thunderstorm warning
Cyclone Tam
Treaty Principles Bill Submission
Metallica Auckland
Tongariro Fire
Measles
Sail GP Auckland
Global moments
Cyclone Alfred
Iran
Day of the Dead
LA Fires
Labubu
Russia Earthquake
KPop Demon Hunters
Bianca Censori Grammys
67
Air India Crash
How to…
How to make butter
How to invest money in shares
How to make buttermilk
How to get rid of bed bugs
How to screenshot on Macbook
How to watch All Blacks vs France
How to soft boil an egg
How to say Happy Matariki in te reo Maori
How to clear cache on Chrome
How to calculate a tax refund
Definitions:
Plancha
Taki
Parens
Loris
Hubris
Atria
Ziti
Ouroboros
Orgo
Seitan
Internet trends/memes
Action Figure Trend
Mango Ice Cream
Barbie AI Trend
Revenge Saving Financial Trend
Peach Ice Cream
What is the 6 7 Trend
Squishy Toy Trend
Polaroid Trend
Starter Pack Trend
Sports events
Club World Cup
India vs England
Auckland FC
India vs Australia
Champions Trophy
New Zealand vs Pakistan
Super Rugby Fantasy
All Blacks vs Australia
New Zealand vs West Indies
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Johnathan Tamihana was sentenced to preventative detention with a minimum non-parole period of five years at the High Court in Auckland on Wednesday.RNZ / Simon Rogers
A man has been sentenced to preventative detention following two sexual attacks against women nearly a year apart.
The two women were both indecently assaulted at the Ōtara Creek Reserve, one in February 2023 and the other in February 2024.
In the first incident, police said a French national was indecently assaulted at the reserve in broad daylight.
“The woman was understandably distraught by what had happened on her visit to New Zealand,” Detective Senior Sergeant Dean Batey said in a statement.
At that time police identified a suspect on a BMX bike using CCTV footage, but despite an investigation and a public appeal they were unable to identify the unknown male, he said.
Nearly a year later, on 18 January 2024, a local woman reported to police that she had been indecently assaulted by a man.
“The woman was out jogging at around 6.30am when a man had followed her into the Ōtara Creek Reserve.
“He subjected her to a disturbing indecent assault.
“Our team was conscious of the previous incident and were determined to stop him from committing any further harm.”
Investigations managed to identify Johnathan Tamihana as the offender in both attacks.
Tamihana has since pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault, threatening to kill and assault with intent to commit sexual violation.
On Wednesday, the 33-year-old Ōtara man was sentenced to preventative detention with a minimum non-parole period of five years, at the Auckland High Court.
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No seriously, what are you wearing to bed? Because it can affect the quality of your sleep.
“What you sleep in can alter the temperature, [that] is the main thing in terms of how it may affect your sleep,” explains Kathleen Maddison from the Centre for Sleep Science at The University of Western Australia.
“Temperature change is super important in helping us fall asleep and then helping us stay asleep.”
Preferences are very much climate dependent, says Kathleen Maddison, from the Centre for Sleep Science at The University of Western Australia. (file image)
Finance Minister Nicola Willis.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The government’s finances are slightly worse than expected, as the tax take fell more than expenses.
Treasury figures, which exclude ACC finances, showed a deficit of $4.9 billion for the four months ended October – about $700 million higher than forecast in May’s Budget.
The deficit including ACC costs was $5.2b, $400m above forecast.
The tax take was down $600m because of lower company and provisional tax receipts.
The Black Caps face the West Indies for day three of their first test of the summer from Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
New Zealand has played just two Test matches so far in 2025, beating Zimbabwe 2-0 in Bulawayo in August.
Since then they’ve played 17 white-ball games against Australia, England and West Indies.
“The team is clear in their test match identity, they’ve done incredibly well as a unit, so just to fall back into that,” coach Rob Walter said on the eve of the three match series.
New Zealand is ranked fifth in the World Test rankings, with West Indies eighth.
First ball is at 11am.
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Michael BracewellAndrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz / Photosport Ltd 2025
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Rajinder was on trial at the High Court in Dunedin.RNZ
A man has been found guilty of murdering Gurjit Singh in his Dunedin home.
The jury retired to consider its verdict at the High Court in Dunedin on Wednesday morning and returned on Thursday.
The 35-year-old, known only as Rajinder, killed Singh at his home in January last year.
In summing up, Justice Rachel Dunningham told the jury there was no dispute that Gurjit Singh was attacked and it was up to them to decide if Rajinder was responsible or not.
Rajinder’s defence lawyer said he had no motive and the evidence against him was flawed.
In closing arguments on Tuesday, prosecutor Richard Smith asked the jury to apply their common sense, saying it was not “rocket science”.
“His blood and hair in the scene. His hair in the victim’s hands, his injury and the thumb of the glove left at the scene. Him buying a murder kit. Him saying he didn’t even know where the victim lived yet here he is searching out a route to the victim’s house on the night of the murder,” he said.
A forensic expert had testified that the blood samples taken from the murder scene were 500,000 million times more likely to be Rajinder’s than a random person, he said.
Defence lawyer Anne Stevens KC said Rajinder had spoken to police in two interviews voluntarily and had consistently denied murdering Singh, describing the other man as honest and hard working.
While the numbers sounded large, DNA presented a degree of likelihood, she said.
“The numbers do not make certainty, however large. Numbers go to infinity. Don’t be misled by high numbers being a certainty, that high enough is good enough,” she said.
During the more than two-week-long trial, the court heard of a complicated love triangle involving Singh, his widow Kamaljeet Kaur and Rajinder.
The Crown said Kaur rejected Rajinder’s proposal through a marriage broker in 2022, while his lawyer said it was Kaur’s family who had approached Rajinder’s family twice about marrying the man and he was not upset to find out she had instead married Singh.
Singh also rejected Rajinder’s plan to marry his sister, saying she was too young.
The Crown said the rejections were motive for murder, while the defence called it a “fantasy of the Crown’s”.
The night of Singh’s death started with a pizza party with friends in Helensburgh on 28 January 2024.
His friends said he was in a good mood, with his wife soon leaving India and moving to New Zealand to live with him. Singh had planned a three-day trip to pick her up from Christchurch.
They last saw him alive at 10.30pm when he left the party.
Dhruval Aery testified that he went to Singh’s home after receiving multiple panicked messages from a mutual friend because he could not be reached.
He found Singh’s bloodied body on the lawn.
“I can tell that he is no more,” Aery told the court.
Singh’s widow Kamaljeet Kaur said her bags were packed for her move to Dunedin when she found out her husband had been killed.
Videos from officers at the property showed blood stains on the ground, hand rail, furniture and wall, a broken large window and signs of a struggle inside.
Rajinder will be sentenced in April.
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Invercargill City Council confirmed the gear was owned by arborist Treetech and was essential to the ongoing efforts to restore the park after extensive storm damage.
Treetech managing director Chris Walsh said the company would need to bring in replacement equipment to get the job done.
“If someone has intentionally set fire to our trucks and equipment, that would be devastating for our team. It’s more than a million dollars’ worth of damage, but we’re pulling out all the stops to keep going.
“We’re a resilient bunch, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
Council parks and recreation manager Caroline Rain said the fire would very likely delay the reopening of the final section of Queens Park.
It was incredibly lucky that the fire did not spread further beyond the maintenance yard, she said.
“It’s distressing to think that someone would deliberately destroy the tools we need to reopen the rest of this beloved park.
“Our staff and contractors have been working tirelessly over the past few weeks to ensure Queens Park is safe for the community.”
Anyone with information relating to the fire was encouraged to contact police.
Counsel for MPI said the company faced a penalty of around $50,000-$55,000.
At the time the charge was laid, New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle said Woolworths had failed to ensure a significant rodent infestation was promptly identified and escalated in accordance with its food control plan.
Woolworths New Zealand is due to be sentenced in March next year.
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Dairy giant Fonterra has increased its first quarter profits to $278 million, $15m more than a year ago.
Key numbers for the quarter ended 31st October:
Net profit $278m up $15m
Forecast FY earnings unchanged at 45-65cps
Midpoint milk price forecast $9.50 per kgMS
Lactalis gains OIS approval to buy Mainland
Chief executive Miles Hurrell said earnings were in line with last year on the back of higher commodity prices, and first quarter profits were the equivalent of 17 cents per share.
“When excluding the costs associated with the Consumer divestment, Fonterra’s normalised earnings per share are 18 cents, up slightly on last year.”
“We maintain our full year earnings range for continuing operations of 45-65 cents per share,” Hurrell said.
Fonterra said it is making good progress implementing its strategy to become a global B2B (business to business) dairy provider after it completes the sale of its consumer Mainland Group.
“We are firmly focused on delivering the commitments we’ve made, not least our target to lift earnings back to FY25 levels by FY28, offsetting the impact of the divestment of Mainland Group,” Hurrell said.
Fonterra intended to invest $1 billion over the next three to four years in projects to generate operational efficiencies.
Mainland sale and capital return
Fonterra said the sale of its consumer brands remained on track and the French based buyer, Lactalis, had secured approvals from the Overseas Investment Office.
Separately, Fonterra said it was continuing to work through other regulatory approvals.
The co-operative expects the sale to close in the first half of 2026 after its farmer shareholders vote on the capital return in February.
Shareholders are set to receive $2 per share tax free from the sale, equivalent to $3.2b.
Last week Fonterra lowered its forecast farmgate milk price to between to between $9.00 and $10.00 a kilo of milk solids as increasing global milk production sent prices lower.
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Mobile network company 2degrees says it is aware some customers are experiencing issues with connecting, receiving, or making calls on their mobile devices.
2degrees’ website says a nationwide fault was under repair since about 4am on Thursday morning.
The company said it was sorry for the inconvenience and their technical team was working to resolve the issue quickly.
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It’s been a great year for feet, particularly toes.
If you followed the fashion of the Northern Hemisphere summer, a predictor for what might be cool for New Zealand’s summer, you likely saw shoes that might typically be categorised as offensive to the eye.
I’m talking about styles such as the Vibram FiveFingers shoe (think of a glove but for your feet) or the split-toe shoe, where the big toe is singled out from the others with its own compartment. There were a lot of clunky, wilderness-style shoes that are a continuation of Gorpcore, where you mix sports or outdoor wear with something not sporty or outdoorsy (think floral dress with hiking boots).
FiveFingers running shoes from Vibram.
JOE RAEDLE
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
The store opens at 11am, while the carpark was opened to shoppers at 8.30am.RNZ / Melanie Earley
A handful of eager shoppers have begun to gather outside the new IKEA store at Mt Wellington in Auckland.
Drivers are being warned to expect 40-minute queues today, with traffic analysts expecting crowds of up to 20,000 a day to visit the store – IKEA’s first in New Zealand.
They’re predicting a 40-minute crawl on the nearby motorway and another 40 minutes to find a car park.
The store opens at 11am, while the carpark was opened to shoppers at 8.30am.
An RNZ reporter at the store estimated around 200 people to have gathered outside.
“We chose to open at 11am so that we avoid the morning traffic,” IKEA’s NZ manager Johanna Cederlöf said.
Google Maps shows traffic currently flowing fairly freely around the area, with a 16-minute trip from Auckland CBD.
RNZ spoke to Bernie who had driven over two-and-a-half hours from Papamoa specifically for the opening, saying he and his wife had waited six years for it.
What will the roads be like?
Auckland Transport and NZTA have encouraged road users to plan ahead for the day and allow plenty of extra time for their journeys.
Auckland Transport Operations Centre (ATOC) Manager Claire Howard said substantial crowds were expected at IKEA for weeks or even months which would have a substantial effect on the transport network across Auckland.
“Surrounding streets in Mt Wellington will also be busy, with forecast delays of up to 40 minutes on Mt Wellington Highway in peak traffic.”
ATOC – a joint Auckland Transport and NZTA venture for managing the network in real time – has been working with the retail giant to ensure their traffic management plan minimises the traffic impact as much as possible. It would be actively managing light signals and diverting traffic where possible as congestion levels increase.
Congestion was expected to be at its worst during peak hour during the week and on Saturdays between 1 and 4pm – particularly heading northbound from South Auckland toward Mt Wellington.
Staff would be on the ground at Sylvia Park Train Station to help direct people to the store who were travelling by train.
IKEA’s NZ manager Johanna Cederlöf, said for anyone who wasn’t in Auckland or who wanted to avoid the opening day crowds, they could shop online from midnight as a way to beat the crowds.
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Rutherford Street, between Melling Link and Connolly Street, is closed.X / NZ Transport Agency
A person is dead after a fuel truck collided with a building on Lower Hutt’s Rutherford Street.
At 9.15am Rutherford Street, between Melling Link and Connolly Street, was still closed after the single-vehicle crash about 5.30am on Thursday.
The Melling Bridge was earlier closed due to the accident but police said it had now reopened.
Fire and Emergency told RNZ they were no longer in attendance, but they had assisted with removing the driver from the truck.
SH2 MELLING – CRASH – 6:55AM, THU 4 DEC
Due to a crash, access to and from the Melling Link Bridge is now CLOSED. Road users are advised to use an alternate route and take extra care. ^JP pic.twitter.com/JMQP2k2Our
— NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi – Wellington (@nztawgtn) December 3, 2025
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Climate Change Minister Simon Watts.RNZ / Nick Monro
The government has rejected all of the Climate Change Commission’s recommendations to strengthen New Zealand’s emissions targets.
The move comes despite the Commission warning the effects of climate change are hitting New Zealand sooner and more severely than expected, and that New Zealand can and should be doing more.
The coalition had already indicated it would reject recommendations to strengthen the 2050 targets for methane and carbon emissions.
Earlier this year it announced it would amend the law to set a weakened methane target, down from a 24-47 percent reduction by 2050, to a 14-24 percent reduction instead.
It indicated it had also rejected the commission’s advice to strengthen the target for carbon dioxide and other long-lived gases, from a 2050 net zero target to a 2050 net-negative target.
Thursday’s formal response confirmed both decisions, and rejected a recommendation to include international shipping and aviation emissions in New Zealand’s targets.
It also dismissed the commission’s advice to keep lowering emissions after 2050.
The government acknowledged strengthened targets would help with efforts to limit global warming.
There also would have been co-benefits from a stronger target, including greater energy security and improved health outcomes, the response said. However, its analysis showed that would come at an economic cost to New Zealand.
“Modelling indicates that GDP would be 0.4 percent lower than the status quo in 2035, and 2.2 percent lower in 2050.”
In its advice to the government in November last year, the commission said since the 2050 targets were first set, the global outlook had worsened.
“The impacts of global warming are greater in both severity and scale than was understood in 2019. Research has found that greater impacts are being felt at lower temperature levels than previously expected.”
The country could and should do more, the commission advised.
“Significant changes since 2019 all point to Aotearoa New Zealand moving further and faster to reduce emissions than the current 2050 target provides for.”
Doing so “would reduce the risk of a harsher and costlier future transition”, that would push the costs of both climate change and the transition onto future generations.
“Not only are they likely to face more severe climate impacts, it is likely they will also have to do more to reduce emissions.”
The commission said that although there were upfront costs from faster decarbonisation, its recommended targets were “compatible with ongoing economic growth”. Many of the changes would deliver cost savings over time.
The government’s response rejected that, saying shifting to stronger targets “would entail economic costs and is substantially less feasible than alternative pathways.”
“Implementing the Commission’s recommended target would also require major policy reform and private sector action.”
The government said it took into account concern from rural communities about land-use change and food production loss if it strengthened the methane target.
“We considered the views of industry to ensure a practical target was developed that protects food production while also reducing emissions.”
That was despite the Commission pointing out the lower end of a strengthened target could already be achieved with implementation of existing technologies and farm management systems.
Most submitters on its consultation around the targets supported doing so, it said.
However, the government said that was ” likely to involve higher economic costs than the status quo”.
Emissions from international shipping and aviation would continue to be addressed through global cooperation mechanisms instead, it said.
In rejecting the advice to continue decreasing emissions after 2050, the government said: “It is our view that a detailed framework for post-2050 reductions and removals is best developed closer to 2050.”
Spotify has just released Spotify Wrapped, its annual end-of-year viral promotional exercise. For New Zealand musicians, however, there was little to get excited about.
Spotify Wrapped aims to reflect users’ listening habits back to them, revealing their most listened to songs, artists, podcasts and more.
It’s meant to be fun and lighthearted, but you don’t need to look closely at the 2025 list of the top 100 streamed songs in Aotearoa to notice there are only five New Zealand songs featured.
Global Korean-Kiwi superstar ROSÉ comes in at sixth for her collaboration with Bruno Mars, APT (released 2024), followed by Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over (1986), Hori Shaw’s Back In My Arms (2024), L.A.B.’s In the Air (2019), and Te Wehi’s Unaware (2024) in 60th, 72nd, 73rd and 78th respectively.
In Aotearoa, well-known artists Tiki Taane and The Bats have removed work from Spotify, and the grassroots group Boycott Spotify NZ encourages other musicians to do the same. Green MP Tamatha Paul has also publicised those artists’ decision to remove their music from Spotify and left the platform herself.
The low turnout of local artists on Spotify Wrapped is part of a larger, worrying trend. New Zealand artists are featuring less on annual top 40 charts, and radio stations seem to be playing less local music, with only two nationwide commercial stations meeting the voluntary 20% target in 2024.
As we have argued previously, the lack of incentives for streaming platforms to promote local music through their algorithm-driven discovery features is giving established international artists an unfair advantage.
It’s not just about visibility and New Zealand’s unique musical and cultural identity. The low share of streaming means less money flowing into the local music industry, with the most recently available data showing only 9% of retail revenue, which includes streaming, is earned by New Zealand musicians.
Strategies for the streaming age
New Zealand has previously taken steps to address market failure in the local music and broadcast sectors. In the 1980s, commercial stations were reportedly playing less than 2% local music, yet by the mid 2000s this had increased to over 20%.
Researcher Michael Scott attributes that growth to deliberate government intervention that provided a counterbalance to the newly deregulated broadcast sector.
A lot has changed since then, and while NZ On Air has evolved to incorporate aspects of the digital environment, the blueprint for intervening on behalf of local audiences and artists remains rooted in a market from another time.
Other countries are actively modernising policy. France and Canada have variations of a music streaming levy, which feed money back into opportunities and outcomes for their local sectors. Australia is addressing similar issues in its screen industry, requiring video streaming giants to contribute financially to the sector.
While Spotify Wrapped is supposed to be a fun way for customers to reflect on their last year of listening, it’s also a reminder of how the current market – and our current interventions – could do better to encourage audience engagement with local music.
As we watch other countries take action, Aotearoa is saddled with out-of-date legislation, risking the ability of future generations to find their own Shihad, Bic Runga, or Supergroove.
Jesse Austin-Stewart has completed commissioned research for NZ On Air and participated in focus groups for Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage. He has received competitive funding from Creative New Zealand, NZ On Air, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture & Heritage, and the NZ Music Commission. He is a writer member of APRA AMCOS and a member of the Composer’s Association of New Zealand and Recorded Music NZ.
For more than 30 years, residents on Auckland’s Franklin Road have decked out their properties with Christmas decorations for the rest of the city to enjoy.
Despite prevalent rumours and conspiracy theories that the popular street-wide display is “funded by the electricity companies” or “organised by the council”, Roscoe Thorby – the man who started it all – says no household is forced to participate and it’s a “gift for the people from Franklin Road”.
What started as a bit of fun betwen neighbours slowly spread up (and down) the street – and now more than 80 percent of the households between Ponsonby Road and Wellington Street take part.
“The idea that it is individual households that make a decision to fund the lights and in many cases, pay for their installation, seems a little alien to some,” says Franklin Lights coordinator Eric Wilson.
“The cost of the electricity itself is relatively minor in comparison, especially with LED lights.”
There are now even displays appearing down the lower end of Franklin Road, as well as some houses in neighbouring Wood and Arthur streets.
“It’s not about how much you spend or the effort you put in,” Thorby says. “Just taking part is the culture of it.”
Have you seen an impressive Christmas display? Share your pics with us iwitness@rnz.co.nz
Wilson, who has lived on the street for 13 years and took over from Thorby last year, credits Thorby’s enthusiam with growing the event to where it is today.
“Why do we continue to do it? Very simply, it’s seeing the joy it brings to children and families.”
One of Wilson’s most memorable displays was a light sculpture of Rodin’s ‘The Thinker’. He also fondly remembers a few years ago where one house simply had the words ‘Ditto’ in lights and an arrow pointing to the house next door.
In 2023, council officers began patrolling the road and moving on street vendors who weren’t meant to be there, after residents complained about hawkers selling food, inflatable toys and light-up accessories, and who refused to leave when asked.
Patrols will continue this year, with organisers keen to preserve the community spirit by keeping those trying to use it for profit away. Organisers want to keep the event free for families to enjoy because “times are tough”, Thorby says.
The lights stay on from 7pm to 10pm every night until Christmas Eve.
RNZ will be livestreaming from 9pm Thursdayas we walk Franklin Rd with Eric Wilson and Rosco Thorby, to bring you the lights – and meet some of the residents and revellers taking part.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Rutherford Street, between Melling Link and Connolly Street, is closed.X / NZ Transport Agency
A fuel truck has collided with a building on Lower Hutt’s Rutherford Street, seriously injuring one person, RNZ understands.
Rutherford Street, between Melling Link and Connolly Street, is closed after the single-vehicle crash about 5.30am on Thursday.
Motorists heading into Lower Hutt cannot turn left off the Melling Bridge, police said.
Police said the bridge is expected to be closed until about 9.30am and drivers are asked to avoid the area.
Fire and Emergency told RNZ they were no longer in attendance, but they had assisted with removing the driver from the truck.
SH2 MELLING – CRASH – 6:55AM, THU 4 DEC
Due to a crash, access to and from the Melling Link Bridge is now CLOSED. Road users are advised to use an alternate route and take extra care. ^JP pic.twitter.com/JMQP2k2Our
— NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi – Wellington (@nztawgtn) December 3, 2025
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A microelectrode array covered with neurons.Bram Servais
As prominent artificial intelligence (AI) researchers eye limits to the current phase of the technology, a different approach is gaining attention: using living human brain cells as computational hardware.
But the excitement is fuelled by three converging trends.
First, venture capital is flowing into anything adjacent to AI, making speculative ideas suddenly fundable. Second, techniques for growing brain tissue outside the body have matured with the pharmaceutical industry jumping on board. Third, rapid advances in brain–computer interfaces have seen growing acceptance of technologies that blur the line between biology and machines.
But plenty of questions remain. Are we witnessing genuine breakthroughs, or another round of tech-driven hype? And what ethical questions arise when human brain tissue becomes a computational component?
What the technology actually is
For almost 50 years, neuroscientists have grown neurons on arrays of tiny electrodes to study how they fire under controlled conditions.
A newly fabricated microelectrode array. Bram Servais
By the early 2000s, researchers attempted rudimentary two-way communication between neurons and electrodes, planting the first seeds of a bio-hybrid computer. But progress stalled until another strand of research took off: brain organoids.
In 2013, scientists demonstrated that stem cells could self-organise into three-dimensional brain-like structures. These organoids spread rapidly through biomedical research, increasingly aided by “organ-on-a-chip” devices designed to mimic aspects of human physiology outside the body.
Today, using stem-cell-derived neural tissue is commonplace – from drug testing to developmental research. Yet the neural activity in these models remains primitive, far from the organised firing patterns that underpin cognition or consciousness in a real brain.
While complex network behaviour is beginning to emerge even without much external stimulation, experts generally agree that current organoids are not conscious, nor close to it.
‘Organoid intelligence’
The field entered a new phase in 2022, when Melbourne-based Cortical Labs published a high-profile study showing cultured neurons learning to play Pong in a closed-loop system.
The paper drew intense media attention – less for the experiment itself than for its use of the phrase “embodied sentience”. Many neuroscientists said the language overstated the system’s capabilities, arguing it was misleading or ethically careless.
A year later, a consortium of researchers introduced the broader term “organoid intelligence”. This is catchy and media-friendly, but it risks implying parity with artificial intelligence systems, despite the vast gap between them.
Ethical debates have also lagged behind the technology. Most bioethics frameworks focus on brain organoids as biomedical tools – not as components of biohybrid computing systems.
Meanwhile, despite front-page news in Nature, many people remain unclear about what a “living computer” actually is.
A fast-moving research and commercial landscape
Companies and academic groups in the United States, Switzerland, China and Australia are racing to build biohybrid computing platforms.
Swiss company FinalSpark already offers remote access to its neural organoids. Cortical Labs is preparing to ship a desktop biocomputer called CL1. Both expect customers well beyond the pharmaceutical industry – including AI researchers looking for new kinds of computing system.
The coming years will determine whether organoid intelligence transforms computing or becomes a short-lived curiosity. At present, claims of intelligence or consciousness are unsupported. Today’s systems display only simple capacity to respond and adapt, not anything resembling higher cognition.
More immediate work focuses on consistently reproducing prototype systems, scaling them up, and finding practical uses for the technology.
Several teams are exploring organoids as an alternative to animal models in neuroscience and toxicology.
Much of what makes the field compelling – and unsettling – is the broader context.
As billionaires such as Elon Musk pursue neural implants and transhumanist visions, organoid intelligence prompts deep questions.
What counts as intelligence? When, if ever, might a network of human cells deserve moral consideration? And how should society regulate biological systems that behave, in limited ways, like tiny computers?
The technology is still in its infancy. But its trajectory suggests that conversations about consciousness, personhood and the ethics of mixing living tissue with machines may become pressing far sooner than expected.
Bram Servais formerly worked for Cortical Labs but holds no shared patents or stock and has severed all financial ties.
Myanmar’s military regime has announced elections will be held in three phases, starting on December 28 and concluding in January.
Two outcomes are certain: first, the military-aligned party will be recorded as winning and, second, the government in exile – the National Unity Government – will fade even further into the background.
In the close to five years since the military seized power in February 2021, the country has been engulfed in a civil war, with the military pitted against People’s Defence Forces and numerous ethnic armed organisations. Thousands of resistance protestors, fighters and politicians, including President Win Myint and the ever-popular leader Aung San Suu Kyi, remain imprisoned.
The military controls the levers of government and holds all the major population centres. But its brutal air, artillery and drone attacks have failed to crush the resistance. The resistance has captured large swathes of territory, restricting the upcoming elections to only 274 of the nation’s 330 townships (constituencies).
Inside and outside the country, the elections are seen as a sham. The military-stacked Union Election Commission has deregistered political parties for failing to meet criteria it has set, such as having a certain number of party members or offices. It has also dissolved Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party.
Citizens criticising the election on social media have been sentenced for up to seven years in prison with hard labour. For some offences, the death penalty applies.
The elections are an attempt to gain the legitimacy, at home and abroad, that currently eludes the military regime. They are designed to demonstrate authority and give an impression of effective control. By simulating compliance with international democratic norms, the regime hopes to promote a sense of normalcy, consolidate power and open the door to greater international engagement, all the while preserving the status quo.
The National Unity Government living in exile and a myriad of its international supporters are calling on the international community to not send election observers. Instead, they want the world to denounce the sham election.
ASEAN leaders are insisting that a cessation of violence and inclusive political dialogue precede elections. They have rebuffed an invitation to send observers.
The best the regime could hope for is that some individual ASEAN member states join Russia and Belarus in sending observers. However Thailand, the most ambivalent ASEAN member, which has argued the election should serve as a foundation for a sustainable peace process, is now saying it will be difficult for ASEAN re-engage with Myanmar. China is believed to be supportive of elections, but has not committed publicly to sending observers.
Continued Western ostracism won’t matter to the junta, for whom regional legitimacy is more important than either domestic or Western legitimacy.
Neighbouring countries are concerned about peace and stability on their borders, high levels of irregular migration, the impact of unregulated mining that pollutes rivers flowing through their countries, the flourishing production and trade in heroin and methamphetamine, and the proliferation of cyber scam centres enslaving and defrauding their citizens.
Citizens of these countries demand their governments address these issues, and the elections will make contact with the regime more defensible. It won’t be a case, as it was before, of competing views on whether engagement or isolation is the better way to bring about reform in Myanmar.
This time, there will be no delusions about reform. Rather, neighbours will be concerned with their national interest agenda, and will ride out any accusations of appeasement and complicity in atrocity crimes. After all, authoritarian elections and dealing with authoritarian regimes is not unusual in Southeast Asia.
It would be a mistake to see the elections in 2025–26 as a re-run of the 2010 elections. Those elections were held under the 2008 constitution, which ushered in a reformist government led by a former general.
The elections will not be a transition to civilian or parliamentary rule. Nor will they be an exit ramp for coup leader Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing. To ensure his own safety, he will want to remain in a role where the apparatus of the state will protect, not prosecute, him.
The elections will be a sham, but they will usher in changes to the military line-up. The current commander will no doubt become president and choose a compliant military officer as his replacement as commander-in-chief. The parliament will be dominated by the military and military-aligned parties.
In the immediate aftermath of the election, it will be hard to see any change in the fear and violence that are the tools of choice for regime survival.
However, under Myanmar’s tattered constitution, the military commander is not answerable to any civilian authority, even the president. Min Aung Hlaing’s replacement might at some point become his own man and favour a negotiated end to the conflict.
That is, the elections open the possibility of some diffusion of power. Although this seems unlikely now, it may be better to have this (albeit remote) possibility rather than no election and a continuation of the status quo – a brutal military dictatorship and relentless war of attrition.
The National Unity Government in exile needs to engage with the reality that elections will be held, bringing the junta greater regional engagement, rather than wishing for some imagined day of meaningful international support. Otherwise, it could fade even further into the background.
Nicholas Coppel is affiliated with the Australia Myanmar Institute, a not-for-profit group, and is a former Australian ambassador to Myanmar.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cameron Webb, Clinical Associate Professor, School of Medical Science & Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute; Principal Hospital Scientist, University of Sydney
Summer’s here and after a wet spring in many parts of Australia, mosquitoes are out in force. Insect repellent has become a routine requirement for time outdoors.
But how safe are they? And do we really need them?
The swelling and itchiness usually resolves in a few days. But scratching can result in secondary infection, especially for young children, if dirt and germs from underneath the fingernails get into the sore.
A mosquito bite can also cause disease. Not all diseases are life-threatening but they can be severely debilitating.
These diseases are a risk in most parts of Australia. Even cooler regions such as Victoria and Tasmania have mosquito-borne diseases which can be seriously debilitating.
Australian health authorities regularly review the recommendations for insect repellent use. But the range of formulations filling our supermarket shelves can change from summer to summer.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) assesses insect repellents for their safety and effectiveness. Packaging should clearly display an APVMA registration number, along with directions for safe use and any required warnings, on their label.
Products sold as mosquito repellents in Australia must be registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. Cameron Webb (NSW Health Pathology & University of Sydney), CC BY
What’s in popular mozzie repellents?
The most widely available active ingredients are diethyltoluamide (DEET), picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE).
Research and reviews from scientists and health authorities show mosquito repellents are a safe and effective way to prevent mosquito bites if used as recommended.
Scientists investigate each active ingredient to determine whether it’s safe. DEET has been the subject of many studies. Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus haven’t been used for as long and haven’t been as thoroughly studied as DEET, but remain among those recommended by health authorities in Australia and overseas.
However, even if a product has been deemed safe, it is important to follow the directions for use on label. There will always be a risk if products are ingested in large quantities or intentionally misused.
What about babies and young children?
Most mosquito repellent formulations in Australia are registered for use on children over 12 months of age, although not all formulations list a specific age restriction.
International studies have shown that DEET and picaridin are safe for children. Recommended age limits for some mosquito repellents vary between countries and product type. In the United States, for example, there is no age limit for the use of DEET, while oil of eucalyptus is recommended only for children over three.
A 2024 study reviewing reports of adverse outcomes from mosquito repellent use concluded DEET was the preferred insect repellent for children, as it was the safest and offered long-lasting protection against biting mosquitoes when used as directed. The researchers noted other active ingredients may provide similar protections but more assessments were required to determine their safety.
Mosquito bites can be annoying but also lead to illness. A/Prof Cameron Webb (NSW Health Pathology & University of Sydney)
Tips for parents of babies and young children
Always be guided by the current recommendations of the APVMA and limit the use of DEET-based repellent from 12 months. Check the label before using mosquito repellent on children.
When you’re applying repellent, ideally apply it to your hands, then rub it on their skin. If you’re using a spray, apply it carefully and never directly onto a child’s face.
Unlike sunscreens, which have a SPF rating, there isn’t a single measure with which to compare the different formulations of mosquito repellents and their effectiveness.
“Heavy duty” or “tropical strength” formulations often contain the same active ingredients as those known as “kid friendly”, but in higher doses that last longer.
Lower concentrations still offer good mosquito bite protection, they just need to reapplied more often.
The secret to getting the best protection is to ensure mosquito repellents are applied correctly. Whether you use a cream, lotion, gel, roll-on, pump-spray or aerosol, make sure all exposed skin is covered. Reapply after swimming, sweaty exercise, or if it has rubbed off.
Cameron Webb and the Department of Medical Entomology, NSW Health Pathology and University of Sydney, have been engaged by a wide range of insect repellent and insecticide manufacturers to provide testing of products and provide expert advice on medically important arthropods, including mosquitoes. Cameron has also received funding from local, state and federal agencies to undertake research into various aspects of mosquito and mosquito-borne disease management.
Around Australia, music festival season is once again kicking into high gear. Yet behind every headline act is a vast and often invisible workforce of stage crew, sound engineers, lighting techs, riggers, truck drivers, backup singers, dancers and other support staff.
Many of these workers endure precarious conditions – dealing with inconsistent contracts, long hours and excessive travel. These issues aren’t confined to Australia’s arts scene, it’s a similarstory around much of the world.
It’s a multifaceted problem, with no easy solutions. But an emerging influence – led by global artists such as Taylor Swift – could help move things in the right direction.
A workforce under strain
Recent assessments of Australia’s live music workforce paint a troubling picture.
A 2024 report from not-for-profit organisation CrewCare surveyed 292 members and found 45% of crew reported working excessive hours, while 53% said their hours prevented a healthy work-life balance.
It found 47% of respondents relied on income earned outside the industry just to make ends meet.
Behind the scenes of Australia’s arts scene is a huge – but often unseen – workforce. Arthur Debons/Unsplash
A separate recent survey of more than 550 musicians by the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, the union representing music industry workers, found half of them earned less than A$6,000 in 2023.
And a federal government-led study released earlier this year found problems with labour shortages, untrained staff managing dangerous equipment, and increasing reliance on “amateurs” and interns – all of which weaken safety and professional standards.
In short, the “machine” behind live music is under strain, and too often the people powering it are undervalued.
The ‘Taylor Swift effect’
Charities such as Support Act and CrewCare highlight the often ignored workforce of production crew and are advocating for fairer conditions.
But could artists themselves now be playing an increasing role?
Consider Taylor Swift. Headlines about her recent global Eras Tour highlighted not only record-setting ticket sales, but also her decision to distribute very large bonuses to her crew.
Swift reportedly awarded US$197 million (about A$300 million) in bonuses to lighting and sound technicians, caterers, dancers, security personnel and others at the end of the tour.
On earlier tour legs, she reportedly gave bonuses of US$100,000 (about A$150,000) each to her production truck drivers.
Such gestures do more than reward the team. They send a clear message that the labour behind the tour matters centrally to the business of the star.
Putting wellbeing first
When a big artist publicly values their entourage, it changes expectations. When fans observe how how supporting artists and crews are treated by a star like Swift, promoters and partners feel pressure to match standards, and emerging artists may adopt different norms.
It isn’t just Swift. Signs are emerging internationally that other major artists are beginning to lead on crew wellbeing.
Beyoncé’s tours have incorporated increased wellness resources for support artists and crew, signalling a shift in touring logistics toward increased care.
For her Renaissance World Tour in 2023, this reportedly included banning alcohol and drugs and having the crew undergo “MeToo” background checks for any prior sexual misconduct allegations.
Reliance on internships and volunteers
A related but often overlooked issue is the reliance on unpaid internships and student volunteers behind many live-music events.
Young people often fill roles in production assistance, stage management and technical support under the promise of “experience”. In Australia, 26% of festival staff are unpaid volunteers.
Yet such arrangements can perpetuate low levels of pay, unstable pathways and workforce casualisation. When superstars treat their own paid crew well, but those on the periphery remain unpaid or undervalued, inequality remains.
The festival labour shortages in Australia – often filled by volunteers and unpaid interns – reveal both structural risk and ethical gaps.
With the festival calendar heating up, the Australian music scene has a window of opportunity. Artists, promoters and venues can adopt a model of valuing the entire team.
When an act arrives and publicly says “we support our performing artists and crew, they’re paid, they’re rested, they’re valued”, it gives a competitive edge and moral capital.
It also builds sustainability as a result of fewer burnout resignations, richer talent pipelines in regional areas, safer operations and stronger reputation.
The live music industry has long been powered by invisible labour. But when someone like Swift uses her platform to reward that labour visibly, it shifts norms.
That ripple can reach Australia’s festivals, crew training programs and production companies. If more artists, promoters and fans begin to see crew wellbeing as integral to the show, then the labour behind the magic might finally get the recognition – and conditions – it deserves.
Scott Harrison receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Deanna Grant-Smith and Jessica O’Bryan do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
I was recently watching a scene from the 2025 film Weapons for a monograph I’m writing and noticed a familiar sound: a low, unsettling drone as a character walks down a hallway.
It’s the same kind of sound used in recent horror films such as Together (2025). You can also hear it throughout the trailer for the 2025 film Shelby Oaks, where sound throbs like an invisible threat.
We never see what’s making this sound or where it comes from within the film’s world, which only makes it more disturbing.
It’s become so common that, in The Filmmaker’s Guide to Horror, Danny Draven advises aspiring directors that if a terrified character is creeping through, for example, a dingy basement, they can create atmosphere with “a low drone or rumble”, and so on. “You can be very creative with these situations”, he writes.
This approach is now so embedded in the genre that film scholar William Whittington argues horror uses music and sound effects “far more aggressively and conceptually” than any other genre.
So why do horror films sound like this?
From silence to sound
Horror existed well before synchronised sound arrived in the late 1920s. Films such as The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) and Nosferatu (1922), made during the German Expressionist period, unsettled audiences through distorted sets, eerie lighting and stylised acting.
Once Hollywood transitioned to sound, the horror genre as we know it took shape.
Dracula (1930) and Frankenstein (1931) marked the true beginning of modern horror. Both were cheaply made and contained no musical score. They relied entirely on diegetic sound – the creak of a door, a scream, a character’s footsteps.
As sound technology improved and budgets increased, non-diegetic music (sound not originating in the story world) began to be used more often. This introduced an ongoing tension in horror sound: objective realism versus subjective emotional perspective.
Too early!
The origin of horror films is linked to the origin of cinema itself. According to legend, at the premiere of the Lumière brothers’ 1895 film The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station, audiences panicked, ducking and fleeing as the train on screen seemed to surge toward them.
The film isn’t a horror movie, but the reaction resembles the kind of startled fear horror aims to provoke.
Early audiences had not yet learned how to watch films – when the train appeared too suddenly coming at them, their bodies reacted before their minds could catch up.
This “too early” sensation – events occurring before we are ready for them – became a defining feature of horror.
In Cat People (1942), often cited as the first true jump scare, a young woman walks alone at night, hearing what she believes is a stalking presence. When the sound of a bus suddenly hisses into the scene, it startles both her and the audience.
The scare works not because of what we see, but because the sound arrives too soon, breaking the tension in a shock of noise – a modern echo of that onrushing Lumière train.
Film theorist Linda Williams describes horror as structured around the anxiety of not being ready, the problem of things happening “too early”.
Where melodrama deals in tragic lateness – arriving too late to save someone – horror delivers the opposite: the terror of being unprepared.
Music that stings
Sounds that arrive too early are not limited to horror. Classical Hollywood frequently used the “stinger”: a sudden burst of music to underline a dramatic moment.
In Ben-Hur (1959), when Judah declares to Messala, “I am against you,” a sharp orchestral shock of brass and strings announces the rupture between the two friends.
In 1960, Psycho changed the function of the musical stinger forever.
In the famous shower scene, Bernard Herrmann’s shrieking violins don’t highlight a plot point – they stab. The music becomes the attack. Audiences were stunned, not only because of the brutal sound but because the protagonist was killed so early in the film.
From that moment, horror split into classical and modern eras. Stingers in films like Halloween (1978) signal the killer’s sudden, unexpected entry from an offscreen space. The shock is now the point.
By the late 20th century, sound had become horror’s most powerful tool.
The power of the off-screen
After Psycho, stronger sound technology allowed horror to exploit the off-screen space more fully. The boundary between sound and music blurred: a low drone or rumble might be musical, or it might be part of the film world.
Draven gives another tip to aspiring horror filmmakers:
[it is] often what is happening off screen that can be the scariest – and great, well-planned sound design can take us there.
The first half of Jaws (1975) remains so terrifying because, though we hardly see the shark, its presence is rendered through music – we feel what we cannot locate.
Jump scares increased dramatically in the post-Psycho era.
Paul Schrader’s remake of Cat People in 1982 contains eight jump scares compared to only two in the 1942 original. On the website Where’s The Jump?, the vast majority of films listed in the “High Jump Scare Movies” category are from the 21st century. None were released before the 1980s.
This reflects the “hypersensationalisation” of post-Psycho horror – a genre now driven by sound as much as image.
Contemporary horror still relies on the same principles: anxiety thrives not in what we can see, but in what we can’t.
Low drones, off-screen noises and sudden stingers all work by activating our imagination before we’re ready – inviting us to anticipate the moment when we’ll inevitably think, once again, “too early!”
Will Jeffery does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Emergency services rushed to the campground in Dudding Lake on Wednesday after a tornado ripped through it at 12.36pm.
A fire truck was sent to the scene alongside ambulance staff who assessed four patients.
The campground’s caretaker, Lance Phillips, told Morning Report the man, Bill, was having a coffee with him just minutes before returning to his caravan and the tornado ripping through.
The weather was “quite fine” until it came over “really black” and a rumbling sound began, Phillips said.
“There was just this rumble … you could hear it before it hit. Then all hell broke loose,” he said.
“There was just this rumble, I suppose you could call it a rumble, you could hear it before it hit and then all hell broke loose. It’s really hard to describe, it’s just something out of the blue, it just hit. Like I said, all hell broke loose, chaos struck.”
Phillips said he was called by another camper who told him there was some damage in the campground and he was “dumbfounded” at the destruction that had occurred when he managed to get down there.
Trees fell from the tornado.Supplied / Rangitikei District Council
He said Bill was sitting in his caravan at the time the tornado hit, causing the vehicle to flip twice. Bill crawled out a window, dazed, before being taken to hospital.
Phillips said he was back at the campground now but had not had any sleep.
“He’s going to be traumatised for a little bit and I don’t blame him.
Phillips said he was “coming right” and he had a lot of support around him, but it would play on his mind for some time.
The weather was still “pretty gusty” but nothing like yesterday.
“I can handle this wind,” he said, “I couldn’t handle that tornado”.
The rain radar as of 6am Thursday morning.Supplied / Metservice
Heavy rain and powerful winds swept through Te Ika-a-Māui overnight.
MetService says the wettest areas included parts of Tai Rāwhiti, including Wharerata which has seen 57 millimetres of rain fall over the past 12 hours.
Rain is continuing to fall in Gisborne which has seen downpours of almost 40mm.
Strong gusts have also jolted exposed parts of Northland, Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Waiarapa and Wellington.
A much more settled day of weather today for most of us. However, still a windy one up the east coast this morning. https://t.co/4ELbMjDO7A
