Monday 13th of April 2026 01:41:19 PM
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In the most cleared state in Australia, Victoria’s native wildlife needs our help after fires

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University

Victoria has just suffered some of its worst bushfires since the Black Summer fires of 2019–20. Over 400,000 hectares are estimated to have burnt so far, an area more than five times larger than Singapore.

Regional communities have been deeply affected. They need support to recover and rebuild their homes, towns and lives. And what about the state’s unique plants, animals and ecosystems?

Both large and small fires erupted in Victoria, and were extraordinarily widespread across diverse environments. They burned in the Wimmera–Mallee region in the northwest, the Otways in the southwest, central Victoria, northeastern Victoria and eastern Victoria, including the alpine region. This means a correspondingly diverse range of native plants and animals has been affected.

Compounding this, Victoria is the most cleared state in Australia. This makes it more difficult for animals to find suitable habitat outside of burnt areas in a fragmented landscape as they recover.

A night image of fires lighting the sky orange above Lake Eildon during the Victorian bushfires.
A night image of fires lighting up the sky above Lake Eildon during the Victorian bushfires.
Graeme Thomas/Facebook

How will these fires affect nature?

Fires have short and long-term affects on wildlife. While a high proportion of animals can survive fires, the total numbers of insects, birds, frogs, reptiles, mammals and others that have died during the fires or afterwards, will still be large. This is due to severe burns, smoke, radiant heat or other injuries as they try to escape. Many animals get caught on fences as they move across landscapes seeking refuge.

We might think animals that can fly, such as many insects, birds and bats, should be able to easily escape. But smoke and extreme heat makes it difficult to breathe and regulate their body temperature, and can disorient wildlife. Temperatures soared well above 40°C during the fires. Along with intense winds, this took a heavy toll on some animals. Tragically, thousands of flying foxes died.

Many animals will have survived fires by finding refuge in protected waterways, caves, rock and boulder piles, or by going underground, including into wombat burrows. Echidnas dig into the ground and go to sleep, a clever tactic to conserve energy and reduce stress on the body.

After fires, animals face additional challenges. Feral cats and foxes are known to rapidly take advantage of burnt areas. Hunting and capturing their prey in more open habitat is easier. Potoroos, bandicoots, lizards and many others that survive initially may be hunted in the hours, days and weeks after a fire.

The long-term effects

The impact of fire can last for decades, or even longer. Many Australian wildlife species depend on logs and hollows in trees for shelter and to raise young. Fire can both create and destroy hollows.

Importantly, Victoria is the most cleared state in Australia. Hence, hollows are already short in supply and patchily distributed. For some tree species, they can take more than 100 years to form. Their loss puts pressure on threatened species including greater gliders, barking owls and spotted-tailed quolls.

Aquatic life is not immune to the effects of fire either. Rains that occur in burnt landscapes can wash ash, debris and toxins into waterways. This smothers underwater habitats and reduces oxygen and water quality for native fish, crayfish and amphibians. In some cases it leads to mass mortality, including fish kills.

How to respond?

Once bushfires are contained and it is safe to enter, government agencies, scientists and wildlife carers will get a clearer picture of fire severity and native wildlife that need help. They will undertake population surveys and develop a management plan. This may include culling invasive herbivores such as deer, laying poison baits to control feral cats and foxes and installing artificial refuges for native animals.

Agencies should take a whole-of-ecosystem view to ensure well intended actions don’t have unexpected consequences. While 1080 poison may be needed in some areas to help control non-native predators, it also poses a risk to dingoes, a threatened species in Victoria.

This includes the Wilkerr (dingo) population in the Big Desert-Wyperfeld region in northwest Victoria, estimated to number fewer than 100 adults. Approximately 60,000 hectares of Wilkerr habitat has burned. The fires may push Wilkerr into agricultural land seeking cover and water, increasing contact and conflict with livestock graziers. This situation needs to be thoughtfully managed to protect graziers, livestock and Wilkerr.

What should I do?

We can help in a range of ways. These include:

  • putting out water dishes for animals with sticks or stones in them so small animals don’t drown
  • donating to charities and organisations that take care of injured wildlife
  • creating wildlife-friendly gardens that displaced animals may use.

Members of the public should not attempt to feed wildlife, and leave this to experts. Likewise, approaching injured animals is not advised, including kangaroos and snakes. Stressed animals can behave erratically and aggressively, and should only be taken care of by experienced wildlife experts.

Feeding wildlife after fire should be done by experts, such as occurred for rock wallabies following the Gariwerd–Grampians fires.

Governments must change course

As a wildlife ecologist and conservation expert, these fires bring an unwelcome but familiar mixture of deep sadness and intense frustration. As the climate gets hotter, such events will only become more likely and more severe.

Governments must substantially increase efforts to curb climate change, including a rapid transition away from fossil fuels. Likewise, we need far stronger environmental laws, and greater government investment to protect and recover the wildlife and places Australians love.

Fire has shaped Australia’s environments, and many species are adapted to survive and even benefit from fire. But the increasing regularity of severe fires will push some wildlife and ecosystems into oblivion. As with people and communities, we have a duty to provide Australia’s native plants, animals and other life with a safe and secure future.

The Conversation

Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. Euan is a Councillor within the Biodiversity Council, a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and the Australian Mammal Society, and President of the Australian Mammal Society.

– ref. In the most cleared state in Australia, Victoria’s native wildlife needs our help after fires – https://theconversation.com/in-the-most-cleared-state-in-australia-victorias-native-wildlife-needs-our-help-after-fires-273466

Do Woolworths shoppers want Google AI adding items to buy? We’ll soon find out

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Uri Gal, Professor in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney

Woolworths has announced a partnership with Google to incorporate agentic artificial intelligence into its “Olive” chatbot, starting in Australia later this year.

Until now, Olive has largely answered questions, resolved problems and directed shoppers to information.

Soon, Olive will be able to do more: planning meals, interpreting handwritten recipes, applying loyalty discounts and placing suggested items directly into a customer’s online shopping basket.

Text of a chat with the Olive chatbot, outlining it can help with problems with orders, tracking orders, specials or finding a product.
What the Olive chatbot can currently do – but big changes are on the way.
Woolworths

Woolworths says Olive will not complete purchases automatically, and customers will still need to approve and pay for orders.

This distinction is important, but risks understating what’s actually changing. By the time a shopper reaches the checkout, many of the substantive decisions about what to buy may already have been shaped by the system.

From helper to decision maker

The most significant change for shoppers is how decisions will be made during the shopping process – and who makes them.

Google describes its new system as a “proactive digital concierge” that understands customer intent, reasons through multi-step tasks, and executes actions.

Major United States retailers, including Walmart, Kroger and Lowe’s, are adopting the same technology. The move forms part of a broader strategy by Google to promote agent-based commerce across retail.

In practical terms, if Woolworths shoppers give their permission, the new Google Gemini version of Olive will increasingly assemble shopping baskets autonomously.

For example, a customer who uploads a photo of a handwritten recipe could receive a completed list of ingredients, reflecting product availability and discounts.

Alternatively, a customer who asks for a meal plan could receive a ready-made basket based on past preferences, current promotions and local stock levels.

This fundamentally changes the role of the shopper.

Instead of actively selecting products through browsing and comparison, shoppers will increasingly review and approve selections made for them. Decision-making shifts away from the individual towards the system.

This delegation may appear minor when considered in isolation. Over time, however, repeated delegation shapes habits, preferences and spending patterns. That is why this new change deserves careful scrutiny.

Nudging by design

Woolworths presents Olive’s expanded role as a practical convenience to save time and effort, while increasing personalisation. These claims are not incorrect, but they obscure an important point.

Agent-based shopping systems are designed to nudge behaviour in ways that differ markedly from traditional advertising.

When Olive highlights discounted products or promotional offers for a shopper, it doesn’t rely on neutral criteria. Instead, its priorities reflect pricing strategies, promotional priorities and commercial relationships – not an objective assessment of the consumer’s interests.

Once such judgements are embedded within an AI system that guides shopping decisions, nudging becomes part of the structure of choice, rather than a visible layer placed on top of it.



Read more:
Nudge theory: what 15 years of research tells us about its promises and politics

This is a particularly powerful form of influence. Traditional advertising is recognisable. Shoppers know when they are being persuaded and can discount or ignore it.

Algorithmic nudging, by contrast, operates upstream. It shapes which options are surfaced, combined, or omitted before the shopper encounters them. Over time, this influence becomes routine and difficult to detect.

Agent-based shopping also means AI does the browsing, comparing prices and weighing alternatives for us. Shoppers are increasingly presented with curated outcomes that invite acceptance, rather than deliberation.

As fewer options are made visible and fewer trade-offs are explicitly presented, convenience begins to replace informed choice.

For these reasons, it would be wrong to treat agent-led shopping as value neutral. Systems designed to increase loyalty and revenue should not automatically be assumed to act in the best interests of consumers, even when they deliver genuine convenience.

Unresolved data privacy questions

Data privacy is an even greater concern.

Grocery shopping reveals far more than brand preference. Meal planning can disclose health conditions, dietary restrictions, cultural practices, religious observance, family composition and financial pressures. When an AI system manages these tasks, domestic life becomes legible to the platform that supports it.

Google has stated customer data used in its system is not used to train models and that strict safety standards apply.

These assurances are important, but they do not resolve all concerns. It’s not yet clear how long household data is retained, how it’s aggregated, or how insights from such data are used elsewhere.

Consent offers limited protection in this context. It is typically granted once, while profiling and optimisation continue over time. Even without direct data sharing, inferences drawn from household behaviour can shape system performance and design.

These privacy risks do not depend on misuse or data breaches. They arise from the growing intimacy of data used to shape behaviour, rather than merely record it.

Convenience shouldn’t end the conversation

For many households, Olive’s expanded capabilities will save time, reduce friction and improve the shopping experience.

But when AI moves from assistance to action, it reshapes how choices are made and how much agency people give up.

This shift should prompt a broader discussion about where convenience ends and consumer autonomy begins. When AI systems start making everyday decisions, we must ask whether consumers retain meaningful control over their choices.

Transparency about how recommendations are generated, limits on commercial incentives shaping agent behaviour, and boundaries on household data use should be treated as baseline expectations, not optional safeguards.

Without such scrutiny, agent-led shopping risks quietly reconfiguring consumer behaviour in ways that are difficult to detect – and even harder to reverse.

The Conversation

Uri Gal 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.

– ref. Do Woolworths shoppers want Google AI adding items to buy? We’ll soon find out – https://theconversation.com/do-woolworths-shoppers-want-google-ai-adding-items-to-buy-well-soon-find-out-273342

How adults can use Stranger Things to talk to young people about their mental health

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Goldsmith, Tutor in Mental Health Nursing, Swinburne University of Technology

Netflix

Beyond its monsters and 1980s nostalgia, Stranger Things resonates because it tells stories of struggles familiar to young people: trauma that lingers, identity that wavers, and friendships that buffer against fear.

And by turning inner struggles into visible monsters, Stranger Things can provide a lens to discuss trauma, identity and resilience.

Here are some of Stranger Things’ insights into adolescent development and mental health – and how adults can use the show to talk to teenagers about their own mental health.

Facing our fears

In the series, the Upside Down is a dark mirror of the Hawkins township – a shadow world where threats feed on secrecy and avoidance. It works as a metaphor for “unseen” unprocessed experiences, shame and anxious avoidance.

Avoidance often reduces fear in the short term, but it can maintain post traumatic stress symptoms over time and interfere with recovery. Avoidance and thought suppression have been shown to increase severity of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.

One of the most effective ways to reduce trauma symptoms is exposure to feared memories, sensations or situations in safe, planned ways. Exposure-based treatment, including trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy (TF-CBT) and prolonged exposure produce meaningful reductions in PTSD symptoms for adolescents and adults.

Stranger Things dramatises this principle: the young people at the heart of the show must face their fears to overcome their power.

Teens can experience what we might call “Upside Down moments”: times when they feel overwhelmed, ashamed or tempted to withdraw. Adults can validate their feelings and then gently pivot toward exposure. This could be small, supported steps to face what’s difficult (a conversation, a memory, a classroom presentation), rather than escape.

Facing shame

Vecna’s attacks dramatise shame and self-criticism. His voice echoes characters’ darkest self-judgments: Max hears accusations about Billy’s death; Eleven relives failures to protect friends.

Shame and self criticism are strongly linked with adolescent distress and risk behaviours. Skills like reappraisal (rethinking a situation) and self-compassion reduce shame-proneness and improve emotion regulation.

Two characters in an eerie red world.
The show externalises inner battles, making coping strategies visible.
Netflix

The show externalises these inner battles, making coping strategies visible.

You can help young people by reminding them the harsh voice in their head isn’t who they are. It’s just a thought, like a bully they can fight. Ask, “What would you say to a friend in your shoes?” or “What’s one small step to feel more in control?”

Turn shame into something they can face, not something they are.

Grounding yourself

Max’s use of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill to break Vecna’s trance is a vivid example of sensory grounding. Teens can replicate this coping tool with music, movement or other sensory anchors during distress.

Music-based activities can support emotion regulation and grounding techniques are practical ways to reduce flashbacks and anxiety.

Adults can help teenagers “ground” by asking them to notice and name things around them, by counting down from five. This might look like naming five things they can see, four things they can touch, three things they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they can taste.

You might also like to work with young people to create a “Vecna playlist” as a sensory anchor – sounds, textures or scents a young person can use when anxiety spikes.

Impinging on daily life

Will experiences flashbacks and panic long after he escapes the Upside Down. In the show, these are dramatised as him vomiting slugs, sensing the Mind Flayer, and freezing during school events.

Will’s trauma persists beyond his reaching physical safety, mirroring post-traumatic symptoms.

Max embodies complicated grief and survivor guilt after her brother’s death. Her withdrawn demeanour, risk taking and fight-or-flight responses echo patterns seen in adolescents grappling with bereavement and trauma, where avoidance and rumination can amplify distress.

Max in the school hallway.
Max, played by Sadie Sink, embodies complicated grief and survivor guilt after her brother’s death.
Netflix

After Billy’s death, Max pulls away from her friends and starts taking risks, like skating alone at night. Her fight-or-flight response surges when Vecna targets her, showing how grief can spiral into something more complicated.

When grief becomes tangled like this, people often cope by avoiding reminders of their loss or getting stuck in painful, repetitive thoughts. Both patterns can make the hurt even harder to bear.

Like Will and Max, some teens experience persistent flashbacks, panic, avoidance or guilt. If symptoms impair daily life, adults should consider professional support. Trauma-focused CBT and exposure based therapies are evidence-based treatments for adolescent PTSD.

Friendship as a buffer

At its heart, Stranger Things is a friendship story.

The party’s loyalty and shared rituals provide a scaffold against isolation and fear. Rituals of D&D campaigns, walkie-talkie check-ins and bike rides create a safety net.

When Eleven loses her powers, friends rally to protect her. When Max is cursed, they mobilise with music and shared problem-solving.

The characters in Stranger Things hug.
At its heart, Stranger Things is a story of friendship.
Netflix

Supportive peer relationships in early adolescence are linked with better mental and physical health. Peer support can improve coping, happiness and self-esteem and reduce loneliness and depressive symptoms among young adults.

Adults can point out how the characters in Stranger Things share burdens and protect one another.

Teachers and parents can help teens build belonging by supporting activities like clubs, group hobbies and gaming nights, alongside creating family rituals. Connection reduces perceived threat and buffers stress. In schools, interventions that strengthen positive interactions among students and staff can enhance belonging and wellbeing.

The Conversation

Stephen Goldsmith 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.

– ref. How adults can use Stranger Things to talk to young people about their mental health – https://theconversation.com/how-adults-can-use-stranger-things-to-talk-to-young-people-about-their-mental-health-272809

Weather: Thunderstorms for North Island after tornado

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Residents are without power as stormy weather continues to lash the North Island.

Thunderstorms, heavy rain and localised downpours are forecast to drench parts of the North Island today.

MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, and Waikato.

A heavy rain warning has been issued for Bay of Plenty and Rotorua, with up to 110mm of rain expected on top of what has already fallen.

Further north, residents in Auckland’s Northcote Point were without power on Friday morning, after a stormy night.

The city was hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms overnight.

Energy company Vector has reported an outage at Northcote Point at about 6.30am on Friday. It said work was underway to resolve the issue, and power is expected to be restored between 10 and 11am on Friday.

It comes after reports of small tornadoes in the North Island on Thursday.

A tornado happened near Orewa, north of Auckland, at about 7pm.

The second reported tornado was seen near the Waikato town of Ōtorohanga.

Luke Care and his wife live in Maihiihi, near the town, and he said the tornado formed very quickly.

The first thing they noticed was the power going out.

“I looked out the window and holy smokes, there’s this giant tornado ripping through the neighbour’s property, it’s quite scary actually,” he said.

He told RNZ it looked like a small water spout at first, and when he grabbed his camera it accelerated and “formed just a full on tornado”.

The tornado carried on up into the mountains and then faded off in the distance, Care said.

Earlier on Friday, a severe storm warning was issued for near Kawerau, Rotoehu, Totoitoi and Lake Tarawerea, as well as Rerewhakaaitu.

The storms moved east-south-east later on Friday morning, and lay near Waiohau, Matahina, Murupara, Kopuriki, and Galatea.

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

Funeral service to be held today for Sir Tim Shadbolt

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Supplied/LDR – ODT/Stephen Jaquiery

A funeral service to publicly mark Sir Tim Shadbolt’s life and legacy will be held in Invercargill this afternoon.

Tributes have been flowing in for the former mayor of Waitematā and Invercargill since he died last week, describing him as a colourful and charismatic character who championed local politics and his city.

Sir Tim was made a Knight Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List for his services to local government and the community.

The funeral service will be held at Invercargill’s Civic Theatre from 2pm with doors open from 1pm.

The service will also be livestreamed on the Invercargill City Council’s website.

After the service, the funeral procession would leave for the Invercargill Airport – home to the Sir Tim Shadbolt Terminal, via Tay Street and Clyde Street, before making its way to Eastern Cemetery for a private interment.

Mayor Shadbolt stands in front of his portrait in November, a piece that is titled Seriously. Stephen Jaquiery / ODT

Anyone who wants to pay their respects is invited to line the streets for the procession.

Sir Tim first came into the national spotlight as a student activist in the 1960s, drawing attention to issues including apartheid and the Vietnam War.

He donned the mayoral chains for the first time in Waitematā in 1983, holding them for six years.

He tried his luck again in 1992, standing for mayor in Auckland, Waitākere and Dunedin.

While he was unsuccessful in those races, he breezed into the top job the following year during a by-election in Invercargill.

He also dabbled in national politics, becoming the New Zealand First candidate for the Selwyn by-election in 1994 – less than a day after joining the party.

Sir Tim served in Invercargill until 1995, but was re-elected in 1998 and held onto the mayoral chains until an unsuccessful tilt in 2022.

Tim Shadbolt with a group of protesters outside the Auckland Town Hall in 1973 Te Ara / Public Domain

With the city in decline, he championed the Zero Fees scheme at the Southland Institute of Technology, in a bid to attract more to the south and keep more young people in the region.

Major buildings including Stadium Southland were built during his term, and others including the Civic Theatre were refurbished.

On the screen, he competed on Dancing with the Stars, broke the world record for the longest television interview – just over 26 hours – and made cameo appearances in the 2017 remake of Goodbye Pork Pie and The World’s Fastest Indian.

He became known as the man who put Invercargill on the map, with Invercargill Airport officially naming the Sir Tim Shadbolt Terminal last year to mark his legacy.

In a statement announcing his passing, his partner Asha Dutt said they lost the cornerstone of their family and the man who devoted himself to promoting Invercargill for almost 30 years.

“Tim was a kind-hearted man who cared deeply about the people around him. He was a champion for the underdog and an active political campaigner from his student days of anti-war protest, his activism for Māori rights, and his fight to keep the Southern Institute of Technology and Zero Fees autonomous.

“Tim will be remembered with gratitude, respect, and affection for his commitment to the south and his passion for life.”

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Top seed Ben Shelton in strife as rain disrupts ASB Classic

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Rain delay at the ASB Classic Men’s ATP 250 tennis tournament at Manuka Doctor Arena, Auckland, New Zealand. Thursday 15 January 2026. © Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

Rain wreaked havoc on the ASB tennis Classic in Auckland on Thursday, with just one quarter-final in the men’s singles able to be completed.

Marcos Giron’s three-set win over Luciano Darderi took almost seven hours due to weather delays, the American eventually prevailing over the fourth seed 1-6 7-5 6-4.

“With the rain, I just thought, ‘it’s a new set, start over.’ There’s a solution here, I knew I wasn’t that far off in the first, even though I got beat 6-1. It was just tightening the bolts and I won a few more of those close games,” the American said.

The remaining three quarterfinals have been rescheduled for an earlier start time this morning.

Among them will be top seed and fan favourite Ben Shelton who found himself a set down when his match was officially suspended.

Argentina’s Sebastian Baez led Shelton 7-5, 0-1, when the rain became too relentless.

The match will resume following the completion of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard against Jakub Mensik with the winner to meet Giron later in the day.

In the final top eight clash on court one at Stanley Street, Eliot Spizzirri and Fabian Marozsan will recommence their battle where Marozsan is ahead five games to four in the first set.

In doubles action, Kiwis Finn Reynolds and James Watt meet Robert Galloway and Alexander Erler in their quarterfinal match-up.

Play will start at the earlier time of 11am.

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

Watch: Tornado appears to rip through paddocks in Waikato

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Source: Radio New Zealand

There are reports of small tornados in the North Island, as severe thunderstorm and heavy rain watches remain in place for the top half of the country and upper South Island.

One tornado happened near Orewa, north of Auckland, at about 7pm.

Local MP Mark Mitchell – who is also Emergency Management Minister – put a post up on Facebook asking anyone affected to contact him if needed.

One household in Red Beach did, which he has gone to see.

“It sounds like we’ve had one of these small tornados that has sort of been very concentrated in and around the Red Beach area,” Mitchell said.

“We’ve just popped round to make sure they’re ok, put a couple of tarps on the roof to keep the house dry and they’ve got repair people coming on Saturday.

“It was obvious it has come through two properties, there was damage to the property behind and also the one on the main street had some of the roof pulled off as well.”

People home at the time described noisy and intense wind and then went outside to find the damage.

The second reported tornado was seen near the Waikato town of Ōtorohanga.

Luke Care and his wife live in Maihiihi, near the town, and he said the tornado formed very quickly.

The first thing they noticed was the power going out.

“And I looked out the window and holy smokes, there’s this giant tornado ripping through the neighbour’s property, it’s quite scary actually,” he said.

Luke Care filmed what appears to be a tornado touching down near Maihiihi, in the Waikato Screengrab / Luke Care

He told RNZ it looked like a small water spout at first, and when he grabbed his camera it accelerated and “formed just a full on tornado”.

“You could see it picking up tree limbs and bits of corrugated iron and as it passed over a trough it just sucked all the water out of it as it was moving through.

“We’re a little but worried about what next,” he said.

“Is another one going to form or are we at risk of them?”

The tornado carried on up into mountains and then faded off in the distance, Care said.

He and his were “luckily” about a kilometre from it when they filmed it. “I would have hated it for it to be any closer,” he said.

“And it just by pure luck it seemed to pick a path between houses and sheds and the neighbour’s cow shed was there with all the cows on the yard, it would have been pretty chaotic if it had gone through there.”

“You wouldn’t have wanted to be underneath it I don’t think,” he said.

Fire and Emergency said it had not responded to any callouts in relation to the reported tornados.

Rain and thunder

MetService is warning people to prepare for localised downpours of 25 to 40 millimetres an hour.

An orange rain warning is in force for Bay of Plenty, including Rotorua, until 11am on Friday, with up to 110 millimetres expected.

Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Gisborne, and Hawke’s Bay’s remain under severe thunderstorm watches until early Friday morning.

Heavy rain has also lashed the top of the South, with an orange warning for northern parts of Marlborough that expired late Thursday afternoon.

The Transport Agency (NZTA) was warning road users travelling north of Kaikōura Thursday night to drive with caution due to flooding on State Highway 1.

Following the heavy rain, flooding had been reported across both lanes near Washdyke Stream Bridge, between Waipapa Bay and Kekerengu.

Contractors were are travelling to the site to check the condition of the road, NZTA said.

Earlier, surface flooding was also reported across both lanes on SH1 near Mangamaunu, and the intersection with Kiwa Road.

Rain watches were in place on Thursday across Nelson, Tasman, and southern Marlborough, including the Kaikōura Coast.

Marlborough District Council said Marlborough Sounds, Richmond Ranges, Rai Valley, Blenheim, Seddon and Ward residents were to expect 60 to 90 millimetres of rain on top of what had already fallen earlier in the day.

It warned people travelling in the region to be cautious of slips and flooding.

Beware of localised downpours

MetService meteorologist Katie Lyons says the severe thunderstorm watches may be upgraded. MetService/Supplied

MetService meteorologist Katie Lyons told RNZ the severe thunderstorm watches could be upgraded.

“There’s a lot going on around the country, I think something that could catch people out today are just those localised downpours in one area.

“And watch out for those thunderstorm warnings,” she said.

MetService said people should make sure their drains and gutters are clear before the heavy rain hits.

It also warned travellers to driving cautiously with difficult driving conditions likely.

Surface flooding in Wellington

Some roads in the Wellington region were already showing signs of flooding.

Porirua City Council said there were reports of rising water levels water on parts of Mana Esplanade and Warspite Avenue.

While the roads were not closed at this point, the council was encouraging people to exercise caution driving in those areas.

The heavy rain was expected to ease in the region after 4pm Thursday afternoon.

There was also some flooding along State Highway Two at Ngauranga in Wellington and in Lower Hutt.

Police were helping to direct traffic, with culverts overflowing onto the road.

Road closures or delays possible – NZTA

A New Zealand Transport Agency spokesperson said motorists should drive with care, maintain safe following distances and slow down, to help keep everyone safe.

“Our crews will be closely monitoring the state highways while these watches and warnings are in place.

“Those who are travelling on the roads should be aware of possible flooding, especially in low-lying areas and near rivers, slips, fallen trees, reduced visibility and hazardous driving conditions, and potential road closures or delays.”

The heavy rain could cause potholes to form or worsen, creating additional hazards for drivers, the spokesperson said.

They also said travellers should be mindful of contractors who may be out clearing hazards off the road.

There are currently no reports from NZTA of state highway closures due to weather.

Both Air New Zealand and Jetstar said there were no flight disruptions or cancellations at this stage.

The airlines encouraged customers to check the status of their flight online or via their apps for the latest updates.

Good news for some

A recent fire on Waitara Road burned through 22 hectares of bush. FIRE AND EMERGENCY NZ / SUPPLIED

Fire and Emergency New Zealand are welcoming the rain with open arms, but remain cautious that a few downpours alone will not change fire risk conditions.

Fire bans and restrictions span across much of the country as the risk of wildfire intensified due to the recent hot and dry weather.

Wildfire manager Tim Mitchell told RNZ the rain was “absolutely” welcomed, particularly to drier high risk areas like Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa.

Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa are under a total fire ban due to dry conditions, with specific zones requiring permits for any outdoor burning.

Hawke’s Bay is under a total fire ban due to dry conditions. RNZ/Sally Round

Mitchell said fire risks remained in place and restrictions could not be removed until grass in drier regions turned green.

“We are hoping for steady rain over a long period of time to reduce fire risk, but heavy down pours may not change conditions.”

Mitchell said flooding also posed a risk to drier areas because the hard ground struggled to soaked up the rain water.

People should also be mindful that lightning strikes could start wildfires, but in contrast to Australia, New Zealand’s lightning is associated with rain, he said.

“Residents should take extra care around flood waters and when driving, keeping a good travelling distance, and double check the checkitsalright website.”

The spell of rain and thunderstorms looks to pass for much of the country moving into the weekend.

For more information on preparing and keeping safe during a storm, visit Civil Defence Get Ready website.

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One dead after two-vehicle crash in Southland, three injured

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Robin Martin

A person has died following a crash in Winton on Thursday afternoon.

The two-vehicle crash on State Highway 6/Great North Road was reported just after 3pm.

One person died at the scene and three other people were injured in the crash.

One person suffered moderate injuries while two people were treated for minor injuries.

Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are underway, a police spokesperson said.

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Weather: Thunderstorm warning for North Island

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Thunderstorm warnings are in place for parts of the central North Island this morning.

MetService has forecast severe storms near Kawerau, Rotoehu, Totoitoi and Lake Tarawerea, as well as Rerewhakaaitu.

The storms are expected to move east-south-east later on Friday morning, and lie near Waiohau, Matahina, Murupara, Kopuriki, and Galatea.

MetService’s weather warnings and watches. MetService

MetService said the storms are expected to hit with very heavy rain.

It said a severe thunderstorm watch is in place for Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, and Waikato.

It comes after reports of small tornadoes in the North Island on Thursday.

A tornado happened near Orewa, north of Auckland, at about 7pm.

The second reported tornado was seen near the Waikato town of Ōtorohanga.

Luke Care and his wife live in Maihiihi, near the town, and he said the tornado formed very quickly.

The first thing they noticed was the power going out.

“I looked out the window and holy smokes, there’s this giant tornado ripping through the neighbour’s property, it’s quite scary actually,” he said.

He told RNZ it looked like a small water spout at first, and when he grabbed his camera it accelerated and “formed just a full on tornado”.

The tornado carried on up into mountains and then faded off in the distance, Care said.

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Whangaparāoa rock pools ‘stripped bare’ by sea life gatherers, resident says

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Source: Radio New Zealand

People gathering sea life at Army Bay. Protect Whangaparoa Rockpools

Mark Lenton, who grew up in the Auckland coastal community of Whangaparāoa, fondly remembers spending hours looking at the species in rock pools as a child.

But he said the number of sea life gatherers had increased in recent years, and beaches along the Whangaparāoa Peninsula were being stripped bare.

“We have now got a surge in demand for our sea life. We not only see mum and dads, we also see busloads arriving at the beach, with buckets and tools, not only to take the more commonly consumed shellfish like oysters and mussels, but any marine plant or animal life that lives in the pools, hermit crabs, limpets, chiton, sea anemone, sea cucumber, anything that lives, no matter the size, goes in the bucket.”

He said this summer, he had seen several hundred people beach-combing at Army Bay, and that there were groups there almost every day.

“If you have a group of ten, for example, which is what we often see, between them, they can take 500 starfish off one beach in a day. On a busy day at Army Bay, we may get anything between 100 and 200 gatherers. That’s 5000 starfish in one day. That’s happening at Army Bay, all along the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, all down the eastern and western coastlines of Auckland, and it’s happening all over New Zealand.”

Omaha local Mary Coupe said they were seeing fewer people beach-combing there, but that was because there was nothing left to take.

”It’s all gone. All our rock pools are already stripped out. They used to be full of shrimp, starfish, even anemones were scooped out with a screwdriver out of the little rock pools where they were hiding. We don’t have the same traffic down here that we used to.”

University of Auckland marine biologist, Andrew Jeffs, said this is an issue he had witnessed first-hand.

“I’ve been at the beach and observed groups harvesting the organisms out of rock pools and taking them away by the bucket load.

“I’ve had conversations with people where I’ve questioned what they are doing on the beach, and they said, well, they’re only little animals, and it doesn’t matter. But it does matter because those animals often only live in a few small places in relatively small areas. Once you remove them, it’s very difficult for them to actually come back and re-establish.”

He said that as the country had become more ethnically diverse, it had put pressure on species that were not always harvested here.

“People have different tastes in what they like to eat and enjoy, and harvesting from the shore of fresh seafood material is something that they enjoy.

“It’s about managing that activity so it doesn’t damage the environment, and whoever, whether it’s the community or government, needs to work with those people to make it possible for them to have some of that enjoyment, but without damaging the environment.

“Even the traditional species, things like cockles and pipis that are in intertidal areas, they’re being harvested harder than ever in a number of areas. And also climate change, some of those populations are getting increasingly stressed by hot summer weather, for example.”

He said there needed to be increased education and enforcement, better rules, and more support for communities that were taking action to try to stop the overharvesting of shore life.

Last year, local iwi, the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust, applied for a two-year legal ban on harvesting all shellfish and seaweed from rock pools along Auckland’s eastern coastline, from the Rodney local board area through to the Hibiscus and Bays local board area, under section 186A of the Fisheries Act.

The iwi’s chief executive, Nicola MacDonald, said that while harvesting shellfish had long been a common practice, as the area’s population had grown, the amount of harvesting being done had become unsustainable.

“There are incidents not only isolated to Whangaparāoa, but dotted right across that coastline. It’s important to make use of the laws we have and to seek Fisheries’ relief. We’re concerned, and I’m pretty sure that once people realise we’re at the state of deprivation, they’ll understand that New Zealand beaches and sealife cannot take this level of take.

“We need to give the coastlines a break from harvesting, and for people know about it, so we can work towards restoration.

“I’ve seen 186As work successfully when iwi and community are working together, supporting one another to educate all people. I’ve seen it with Waiheke Island and Ngāti Pāoa and the communities there when they put an application in around their scallops and crayfish. Not that long ago, there was only one living crayfish on Waiheke. Now they can see many more. That’s fantastic, that’s what we want to see for our coastline.”

She said there needed to be more education about the harm that harvesting species to depletion was having on the ecosystem.

“Those species are the engineers of the marine environment. We need them to build strong structures for other species. If there’s nothing left, all of that marine environment collapses.”

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones said he was aware of issues with rock pool harvesting, specifically on Auckland’s east coast.

He confirmed he would make a decision about the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust’s request next month.

“I appreciate there’s a sense of urgency around the Hibiscus Coast. But we need to ensure every time we bring a new regulation in, that preferably we take a regulation away, but bringing in a regulation to impose a rahui around that part of Auckland needs to be embraced and understood by the broader community that this is a necessary step to secure better outcomes for the rock pools’ sea life.”

Fisheries North Regional Compliance Manager, Andre Espinoza, said the agency was aware of people gathering seafood in the Whangaparāoa area, but that most were harvesting legally within the current recreational daily limits.

He said Fishery officers had observed private tour groups visiting Whangaparāoa beaches and that people often used public buses to visit beaches.

“It’s important to note that it’s not illegal for large groups to collect seafood in any area that is open, but they must follow the rules, and only people actively gathering seafood can take their applicable daily bag limit.”

Mark Lenton said that his group, Protect Whangaparāoa Rockpools, would be protesting peacefully at Army Bay on Saturday.

The group is calling for better protection of rock pools and intertidal zones, and more education around marine conservation.

Fisheries said suspected illegal activity could be reported through the 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 476 224).

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Health NZ confirms another major tech outage

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Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

Health New Zealand has confirmed another major technology outage, this time for hospitals in the lower North Island.

A clinician working in one of hospitals called the situation shambolic, while the medical specialists union said crumbling technology systems were putting both staff and patients at risk.

A range of clinical and administrative systems were down for at least six hours on Thursday, days after a widespread IT outage affected the Southern district for more than 12 hours.

Health NZ said the outage was not related to hacking or to the Southern district outage, and services continued to operate safely throughout the day.

But the healthcare worker, who RNZ agreed not to name, said the inability to access patients’ vital health information was a clinical risk.

They claimed Te Whatu Ora didn’t know which provider was managing Capital and Coast’s IT systems over the summer break.

It’s not known exactly how extensive the issues were. Health NZ would only confirm “part of the Central Region” had been affected.

An all staff email, seen by RNZ, said Central Region, Wellington Hospital, Wairarapa Hospital and Hutt Hospital, and “staff throughout the central region” were impacted.

The email noted “a gap in knowledge around who is on-call” as an “outstanding Issue or challenge,” and warned of the risk of potential disruption to patients care pathways and risks to emergency departments.

Sarah Dalton LDR / Stuff / Kevin Stent

Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton said the Single Clinical Portal – a platform used by Wellington, Hutt and Wairarapa Hospitals that provides patient data – had been malfunctioning for months.

“Health NZ admitted it had major problems late last year, and said it would take months not weeks to fix.”

That meant clinicians were already having to use work arounds on a daily basis and were suffering significant delays, she said.

Even if Thursday’s outage was not related to staffing cuts across Health NZ’s digital and data teams (which saw around a third of all roles cut last year), the ongoing inability of HealthNZ to “get across their data and digital infrastructure and to put reliable systems in place absolutely is a factor around resource constraints, budget limitations and staffing cuts.”

Some things – such as trying to search a patient’s medication history – were difficult to do manually, especially if someone was already in treatment or very unwell and may not have that information to hand, Dalton said.

“Who has that information, how are you supposed to uncover that, how can you determine what the next safe treatment step is? For our members who are senior doctors and dentists, they are the people that hold the ultimate medico-legal responsibility for care of patients, so HealthNZ as an employer is really letting them down.”

Senior data and digital staff had confirmed that when HealthNZ ran its voluntary redundancy programme last year, many more staff took that option than it was able to spare, leaving the department understaffed, she said.

Stuff reported last month that Te Whatu Ora had contracted technology consultancy firm Datacom to fill gaps on the IT service desk.

‘I want them to take some accountability’

HealthNZ senior leadership and board needed to front on the ongoing issues and the impact of the budget and job cuts, Dalton said.

“I want them to take some accountability. We need to understand why they are in a position of contracting out – which we know is much more expensive – when they’ve just let many many staff go.

“We need to ask ourselves what should lie at the heart of our health system? I think what patients and communities would like is to be diagnosed and treated in a timely fashion near to where they live, but the way HealthNZ is going about their business is making healthcare harder to access and more difficult as a system for healthcare workers to work in.”

Ongoing technology issues, including the axing or deferral of more than 100 IT projects, delays to roll outs and the outages were “not a good advertisement for New Zealand being a great place to work” amid a globally competitive health care market, she said.

Health New Zealand group director of operations for Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley Jamie Duncan confirmed there had been “an issue with the digital infrastructure that provides access to a range of clinical and administrative systems across part of the Central Region.”

“Functional access to critical systems” had been established around 9am, and services continued to operate safely throughout, he said.

He said all systems were accessible by 4pm, and teams were working to ensure all users were fully restored.

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Taupō holiday park’s popularity leads to complaints from visitors

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Facebook / Lake Taupo Holiday Resort

Lake Taupo Holiday Resort is being overwhelmed by its own popularity, according to one camping enthusiast.

A post on the NZ Fun Adventures Facebook page about the resort led to hundreds of comments, many complaining of not being able to get in touch with the park to discuss bookings or query payments.

One was Sam Barnfield, who said he had a great vacation at Lake Taupo Holiday Park last year.

But months after the visit he was still struggling to get a refund he said he was owed and he now regretted the visit.

“When you try and ring Lake Taupo Holiday Resort they never answer their phones, they don’t respond to emails, they say one thing and it never happens and now we are $170 out of pocket because they still haven’t put the money back in our account,” he said.

The park had been developed, owned and run for more than 25 years by locals Lloyd and Trish Lusty.

Last October it was sold to Australian property group Hampshire Holiday Parks – which seemed to have had an impact on Barnfield’s experience.

“They are saying that due to the new management systems that they are slowly catching up on new processes and bits and pieces, but as you have seen in that thread on Facebook, I’m not the only one who’s been affected by this,” Barnfield said.

Facebook / Lake Taupo Holiday Resort

Amanda Schoeman also posted on the NZ Fun Adventures Facebook thread.

She had just booked to camp at the resort for her fourth stay in five years and said communicating with the park was harder this time.

“Previously you could pay $5 extra per night to have a designated stand assigned to you, but they don’t have that option [online] anymore, so it was quite a struggle to get through to them by telephone when we wanted to book,” she said.

Schoeman noticed they had offered a Boxing Day discount sale and thought perhaps that drove up the numbers trying to talk to the resort at an already busy time.

Despite the recent issues, she still recommended the resort.

“You will have an absolute blast of a time,” she said.

Jono Collins said after seeing the problems popping up online, he rang the resort. A message asked him to email which he did, and after 24 hours he received a call back.

“Obviously they are very keen to get on top of [things], they gave me a bit of insight into the staffing support they have in place, which is a huge amount, far more then I imagined,” he said.

Collins thought Lake Taupo Holiday Resort was probably one of the country’s busiest holiday parks, especially at this time of year.

Facebook / Lake Taupo Holiday Resort

He compared going to a campground in the Christmas/New Year’s period to going to a supermarket on Christmas Eve.

“You should be expecting checkouts to be busy, car parks to be full, no decent fruit left on the shelf, it’s a busy time, the amount of business will dramatically go up,” he said.

The busy season required adjusted expectations and patience, Collins said.

That did not help Barnfield though, who was still waiting for his refund.

“There’s not much more we can do … it’s just frustrating, we are at their mercy really,” he said.

RNZ asked Lake Taupo Holiday Resort for an interview to discuss how things had gone this summer and Barnfield’s case.

In a statement, park manager Sashah Macleod said they were in discussions directly with guests and would not be commenting.

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Skilled migrants on path to residency warned status may change

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Swim school instructor Aaron Pasion, pictured with his wife Janine and son Andreus, was told his job was skilled and is leaving for Australia after finding out it no longer is. Aaron Pasion

Migrants who were told their job was skilled and put them onto a path to residency are being warned that may no longer be the case.

Immigration New Zealand is using two classification systems to decide whether jobs should be classed as skilled – which affects which visas they can get.

An immigration adviser said New Zealand was at risk of getting a reputation for ‘scamming people with false promises’.

Filipino Aaron Pasion has worked as a swim school teacher in Auckland for three years, and was due to extend his visa when he found out he would instead have to leave.

He is married and his five-year-old son Andreus had been about to start school here. His swim school and parents of the youngsters he teaches have rallied around, but no options were left.

The family will move to Australia by the end of the month.

Aaron Pasion, his wife Janine and five-year-old son Andreus came from the Philippines with hopes of residence, as he had a skilled job. Aaron Pasion

“We were so, so disappointed to hear it because he is just genuinely exceptional,” said parent Nicole Pryor.

“He’s singing, he’s joking. Like you can hear him when you walk into the swimming facility. He’s larger than life, he’s amazing with the kids. And no matter who he’s dealing with really, like whether it’s a six-month-old, a new dad, a grandparent, a ten-year-old, he’s just incredible with everybody.

“To be teaching such a range of ages and skill levels these vital skills, what it feels like to fall into a pool, putting your face under the water for the first time, kicking, moving your arms. They are critical skills. And in a country like New Zealand, where we really do need that for the safety of our kids, it just seems wild to me that they’re not considered really important technical skills.”

Pryor said migrants like Pasion were a ‘treasure’ and will be a loss to New Zealand.

“It really sort of demonstrated to me how there must be so many folks who make such a significant contribution to our communities who would be facing similar situations. And it’s quite distressing thinking about them, the upheaval of their families and their children.”

Pasion is not alone, with industry saying professionals such as office, shop and restaurant managers welcomed as skilled under temporary visas were now being shown the exit door.

He would like the government to offer more consistency in its visa rules, so migrants can plan their futures.

“When I got here to New Zealand, the swimming instructors were in skill level three [skilled] and we understood that we can extend our visa here, we have a pathway to residency,” he said. “We teach important life skills. So yes, I definitely think that it should be considered as a skilled profession.”

He would also like immigration to try to assess the contribution a migrant makes to their community.

“The management from my company, from my swim school has been doing their best since the beginning of 2025 just to check for options. And then during that time, we were just hopeful.

“The parents and those people who knew us, like their love and support were overwhelming. We love your country. We love the people. We love everything. We love the promise of the future for me and my family. Our boy has already adapted and then he’s supposed to start big school this year. That’s why it’s so hard.”

Defining ‘skilled’

Immigration adviser Tobias Tohill believes there is a ‘storm brewing’ among people who got three-to-five year temporary visas when their roles were classed as skilled – only to find out later they no longer are, or cannot qualify them for skilled migrant residence (SMC) visas later.

Other changes to SMC are due to arrive later this year, but the industry was in the dark about what that would look like, he said.

“The employer think they’ve got a key person in the business. The person applies for residence after three years and then gets it declined,” said Tohill.

“Then that person’s like, ‘this job can’t get me residence, I’m off’ and they lose that key person. So it’s a loss for the businesses as well. So it’s actually kind of counterproductive in economic terms in my view.

“Change is too slow, and for many migrants this constant tinkering with policy settings is going to lead to a lot of disappointment, and awkward endings. After years of graft, it seems likely that many will find they do not meet residence requirements and cannot stay longer.”

Hospitality New Zealand chief executive Kristy Phillips said the two classifications – the National Occupation List (NOL) and Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) – were causing difficulties, but stopped short of describing the situation as a broken promise.

“The National Occupation List, that integration, that’s quite a significant change. And as I understand it, Immigration New Zealand is rolling that out gradually. So I think that’s where some of that discrepancy and disparity is coming in between those skill levels being recognised on the National Occupations List versus the ANZSCO list that we’ve been traditionally using and where the skilled migrant category visa is still using those qualifications.”

The wider issue for hospitality was retaining staff while increasing the domestic workforce, she said, but changes to the skill level classification was also affecting people since November.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said its system was primarily based on ANZSCO, and will be after SMC changes are introduced in August.

“In October 2024, it was announced by Stats NZ that ANZSCO would be replaced by the National Occupation List. To ensure a smooth transition, INZ is introducing the NOL in stages and will keep migrants, employers, and immigration professionals informed as it is implemented.

“We recognise the complexities of using two classification systems throughout this transition period. We are committed to providing clear, timely information to ensure migrants, employers, and immigration professionals have certainty and understand their visa options and respective visa requirements during this time.”

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After an epic journey around Australia, the Riley family’s world was shaken

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Five years ago, Australian pastor David Riley, his wife, two high school aged daughters and their youngest son, set off on an epic journey to lap Australia.

During that adventure, Riley came across the story of Nevill Westwood and Greg Davies, the first to lap the continent by car, driving a tiny Citroen cabriolet called Bubsie.

The young pair left Perth bound for Darwin in Bubsie. They had been sent by their church with a simple, but daunting, task, to establish a mission in the Northern Territory.

Nevill Westwood and Greg Davies became the first people to drive around Australia in 1925.

Supplied

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Ed Sheeran set to rock Auckland on first night of tour

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Ed Sheeran is playing two nights in Auckland, before heading south. Supplied / Mark Surridge

Auckland is hosting the opening night of Ed Sheeran’s global Loop Tour on Friday night.

The chart-topping British singer-songwriter is playing two shows at Go Media Stadium, on Friday and Saturday, before heading to Wellington and Christchurch the following week.

Auckland deputy mayor Desley Simpson said it was super exciting for Auckland to be kicking off Sheeran’s world tour.

“We think there’s something like 80,000 fans over two nights. The actual setup is really going to be fantastic,” she said.

“They say there is the largest video screen ever that has been built in New Zealand being built right now in time for the show. Ed wants every single person to be able to intimately see what he’s singing, and I think we’ll get some really good effects from that super large video screen.”

Simpson had snagged a ticket to Friday’s concert.

“I can’t wait. I saw him at Eden Park and loved him, I just think he’s great, he’s warm, he’s real, he can play,” she said.

Simpson said to help concert-goers get to and from Go Media Stadium special event buses would be leaving from the city, for people on the North Shore and people travelling from Quay Street.

She said Auckland had had a strong start to the year in terms of events attracting visitors.

“Already in January, until the 14th of January, we’re close to 20 percent up on hotel bookings in Auckland. We know events, festivals, and concerts really contribute to us economically and we also know the hospitality and the accommodation sectors do benefit,” she said.

Hospitality New Zealand head of advocacy Sam MacKinnon said Sheeran’s concerts in Auckland would provide a great boost to the city’s economy.

“Ed Sheeran is a massive drawcard and we’re expecting to have full venues, full bars and restaurants and obviously accommodation will be pretty full up as well so it’s great to have another big event this summer to really help bolster the balance sheets and support the industry,” he said.

Sheeran will wrap up the New Zealand leg of his tour with a show at Wellington’s Sky Stadium on 21 January and two shows at Christchurch’s Apollo Projects Stadium on 24 and 25 January.

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61 shops announce closures in 10 days: Will liquidation numbers get worse before they improve?

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ/Calvin Samuel

We are only half-way through the first month of the year and already the business closures are mounting.

EB Games will close its shops at the end of the month. Miniso and Yoyoso shops are in liquidation. Wellington’s Leuven Belgian Beer Café will close after 25 years in business.

Smaller centres are also affected. Whangārei’s Rodney Wayne said it was closing its doors, as was nearby Orrs Pharmacy, which has been open 80 years.

While economic improvement is on the horizon, there are warnings that the number of businesses closing could get worse before it gets better.

Economist Shamubeel Eaqub said the rate of closures often picked up at the start of a recovery.

“Particularly for some sectors, because the early part of a recovery is slow. There is a disappointment gap.”

Massive queues were seen at shopping malls on Thursday after EB Games announced a 50 percent off closing down sale. Supplied

He said that was seen in the Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion (QSBO).

“Businesses were saying ‘oh, next quarter things are going to be much better’. Things were better but not as much better as they had expected. So the disappointment gap is the most persistent it has ever been in the history of the QSBO.

“A lot of businesses would have gone out and hired people or they might have made investments or they might have brought in stock so they’ll be at the edge. There is still a bunch of businesses that will struggle through this early part of the recovery.”

Eaqub said quite often, it was because the business had been bleeding cash and that caught up with them.

“I think there’s still a spate of business closures to come.”

But he said that should start to ease towards the end of the year.

Shamubeel Eaqub. RNZ

“I think everybody thinks everything turns on a dime. It doesn’t. Different parts of the economy move in different ways.”

Some retailers would be suffering after a weaker-than-expected Christmas period, he said.

“Also some industries like construction, when the early part of the recovery comes quite often businesses will go out and bid for jobs at prices that are unrealistic because they’re just grateful to have work and then they overcommit and face financial difficulty because the cost pressure is built really quickly in the construction industry.”

Carolyn Young, chief executive of Retail NZ, said many shops had not seen the lift in sales in the fourth quarter that they had been hanging on for.

“The fourth quarter is your biggest quarter of the year where you’re going to make your profit and we know that sales were down in December … businesses have used up most of their cash reserves so their ability to continue to stay alive will be compromised if they haven’t managed to cover off their sales in December at full price.

“Through December we saw a surprising number of businesses have items on sale before Christmas which is unusual.”

She said cost pressure had continued to rise and unless businesses had been able to negotiate things like rent reductions then there would be more liquidations.

“Two national businesses, 61 stores across the two businesses, have announced liquidations or closures in the first 10 days of the year… that shows how difficult it is for small and bigger businesses. We continue to see small businesses ring up about restructures.

Carolyn Young. Supplied

“We’ve got an advice line and one of the most popular topics continues to be business change, restructure, business closure and then the sort of performance management things with staff which are often an indicator that businesses are really focusing on the bottom line and how do they get the performance out of staff to ensure they have optimal sales that they need.”

She said the government could do more to ensure its settings were business-friendly and encourage people to buy from New Zealand businesses rather than offshore.

“In the next few weeks we’ll start doing some work on what’s happening overseas – South Africa put a tax in place, I think they’ve done the same in France with the businesses like Temu and Shein and that levels the playing field up because New Zealand businesses have to comply with all the New Zealand legislation and offshore businesses don’t comply with anything.”

She said while businesses could not be propped up by government, there could be settings that were more supportive.

General election a factor

Keaton Pronk, an insolvency practitioner at McDonald Vague, which is handling the Yoyoso liquidation, said it would be a testing year for insolvency because of the looming election.

“What we have previously seen in an election year is that businesses will take a wait and see approach until it is clear which party or coalition of parties will be running the country for the next three years. What will be interesting is the approach the IRD takes over this period.

“On the latest available figures, the IRD tax debt to be collected remains around the $9 billion dollar mark, well above where it was sitting pre-Covid and no doubt the government would like to recover these funds to spend and are funding the IRD accordingly.

“With this playing out the IRD will continue to apply pressure to businesses that are in arrears or fall into arrears. Looking at the January winding up figures advertised so far we can see the IRD is already active in advertising their ongoing winding up proceedings.”

He said he had a number of inquires over Christmas and January that have turned into appointments by stakeholders.

“January is traditionally a hard month for businesses as they close their doors in December for the holidays and have little income but still need to cover fixed costs, holiday leave and face IRD obligations such as November GST due 15 January, PAYE due on 20 January, October to December FBT due on 20 January, provisional tax due on 15 January and for the larger employers more PAYE due on 5th of February, this a lot of cashflow businesses need to find at a slower time of year.

“2025 was back at the levels we saw in 2011, post 2009 GFC, and we are expecting to see corporate insolvency appointments continue at the elevated levels into the middle of the 2026.

“To date the appointments have been widespread hitting all industries and regions differently, so we are unable to point to one particular sector that is unaffected. Walk down any main street and you will see a number of for lease signs up.”

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

One cure for sour feelings about politics − getting people to love their hometowns

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sean Richey, Professor, Georgia State University

A young girl holds Old Glory at an Independence Day celebration. SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images

Eileen Higgins won a historic victory in December. She became the first woman ever elected mayor of Miami, as well as its first Democratic mayor since 1997.

Although the stakes in the city’s Dec. 9, 2025, runoff election were high, interest was not − 4 in 5 registered voters stayed home.

Low turnout is common in municipal elections across the country. While much of the nation’s political attention stays focused on Washington, the leaders who control the nation’s streets, schools and neighborhoods are typically chosen by a small fraction of citizens.

Although many Americans can identify their U.S. senators or members of Congress, far fewer can name even one of their local elected officials, such as a city council member. To cite one example, a North Carolina study, found that 86% of state residents could not identify their own elected leaders, including local government officials.

Turnout in local elections regularly falls below 20%, often leaving critical decisions in the hands of small, unrepresentative groups, creating an electorate that’s disproportionately white, elderly and affluent.

My research as a political scientist suggests an overlooked factor explains why some people engage with their communities while others tune out: local patriotism, or how they feel about their town.

The power of local patriotism

For my book “Patriotism and Citizenship,” I commissioned a nationally representative survey of 500 Americans. We asked a simple question: How do you feel about the town you live in? Those who responded could choose from five options, ranging from “hate it” to “love it.”

About half said they “liked” their town, 20% loved it, but a full quarter expressed no positive feelings whatsoever; 3% said they outright “hated” where they lived.

Such attitudes have real-world effects. Even after accounting for factors such as age, education, income and general interest in politics, loving one’s town strongly predicted participation in local politics.

People who loved their town were more likely to attend city council meetings, contact local officials, volunteer for campaigns and discuss local issues with friends. The same pattern held for civic participation – from volunteering with community groups to organizing neighborhood cleanups.

Local patriotism also correlated strongly with trust in local government.

Determining the stakes

To test whether these feelings actually change civic behavior, I ran two experiments.

Participants were first asked to identify the biggest problem facing their town. Some mentioned traffic congestion, others cited crime or homelessness. Then came the test: Would they donate $1 they’d earned for taking the survey to help solve that problem?

In the first experiment, one group was asked “Thinking about feelings of love or hate toward your town, would you like to donate this $1 to help your town solve the problem that you just listed above?” The other group received no such prompt about their feelings and was just asked to donate to solve the problem.

The results were striking. Among those primed to consider their feelings about their town, 18% gave away their payment. In the control group, just 3% donated – a sixfold difference.

A second experiment replicated this finding. When people were prompted to think about loving their town, 8% donated. Even asking them to consider feelings of hate led 5% to give. But in the control group with no emotional prompt? No one donated.

Why this matters for democracy

Local patriotism appears to address a fundamental puzzle in political science: why anyone participates in local politics at all. The time and effort required almost always exceed any tangible benefit an individual would receive.

Eileen Higgins, newly elected mayor of Miami, reaches out to grasp a supporter's hand.
Because election turnout was low, Eileen Higgins was elected mayor of Miami by just a small fraction of residents.
Lynne Sladky/AP

But when people care deeply about their community, the calculation changes. The emotional reward of helping a place you love becomes a plus. The sacrifice feels worthwhile not because it will definitely make a difference, but because you’re investing in something that matters to you.

This has important implications. The positive feelings people have toward their community translate directly into civic engagement, without the risk of increasing negative feelings such as jingoism or xenophobia.

For local leaders frustrated by low turnout and apathy, the message is clear: Before asking residents to show up, give them reasons to care. Build pride of place, and engagement will follow.

The good news is that local attachment isn’t fixed. My experiments showed that simply prompting people to think about their feelings toward their town could motivate civic action.

A few ways to foster local patriotism

Here are some strategies that can help foster local patriotism:

• Create civic rituals: Regular community events, from farmers markets to fireworks, build emotional ties to place.

• Celebrate iconic places: Whether it’s a waterfall, clock tower or mountain view, promote the landmarks that symbolize your community. These shared images give residents a common point of pride and visual shorthand for what makes their town special.

A fruit vendor talks with a customer by his display at a farmers market.
Holding local events such as farmers markets can foster a sense of community, increasing residents’ sense of attachment to their town.
Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision via Getty Images

• Bring children to community events and have them participate in local organizations: Parents who take their kids to town festivals, parades and events, or sign them up for youth art and sports programs, aren’t just keeping them entertained. They’re building the next generation’s emotional connection to place and creating civic habits that can last a lifetime.

The evidence shows that emotional connection to community is a powerful but largely untapped resource for strengthening democracy from the ground up.

In an era of declining civic engagement and deepening partisan divisions, fostering local patriotism might be exactly what the country needs.

The Conversation

Sean Richey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. One cure for sour feelings about politics − getting people to love their hometowns – https://theconversation.com/one-cure-for-sour-feelings-about-politics-getting-people-to-love-their-hometowns-272876

Bondi Beach’s murderous terrorism aftermath – an Aotearoa perspective

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COMMENTARY: By Ian Powell

On 14 December 2025, a father and son, reportedly linked to the ISIS clerical fascist organisation, committed a murderous attack on innocent participants at a Jewish celebration on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach. Fifteen were killed and around 40 seriously injured.

There is no way this horrific event can be minimised. It was murderous, it was antisemitic, the victims and their loved ones were completely innocent.

It also can’t be remotely justified by Israel’s genocide in Gaza and increasing repression on the West Bank.

Nor did it in anyway serve the interests of Palestinians and their fight for peace and self-determination — if anything it gave “pro-genociders” a deceitful propaganda weapon.

Extraordinary heroism also powerful message of interfaith kindness
 There is no “notwithstanding high point” in this murderous tragedy. But there was much heroism.

Understandably the overwhelming impact of the sheer horror of the slaughter meant that this was not reported as much as it deserved.

The heroism of Ahmed al-Ahmed saved lives and prevented more serious injuries. Image: politicalbytes.blog

But prominent was the extraordinary courage of Ahmed al-Ahmed who wrestled the gun from one of the attackers and was severely wounded — being shot five times — as a result.

His extraordinary courage was covered by The Guardian (29 December 29): Saving lives at Bondi Beach.

Ahmed al-Ahmed is an Australian of Syrian origin. He is also Muslim. His bravery saved many Jewish lives.

Sickening contrast
 This makes the sickening response of the Israeli government even more deplorable. It attempted to blame the terrorist attack on the Palestinian resistance to Israel’s ethnic cleansing and genocide, and to opponents of this warmongering.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . . . response dishonest and deplorable. Image: politicalbytes.blog

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu even went so far as to dishonestly claim Australia’s recognition of Palestine as a state was to blame.

Two newspaper opinion pieces from New Zealanders who deny the reality of ethnic cleansing and genocide by Israel repeat this disgraceful “blame Palestinians” response.

The first was by Deborah Hart, chair of the Holocaust Foundation New Zealand. Her paywalled piece was published by The New Zealand Herald (December 15): Never again.

The second was by Juliet Moses, a spokesperson for the New Zealand Jewish Council. Her piece was published by Stuff (December 17): New Zealand should pay attention.

While both justifiably describe the horrific nature of the slaughter, they also reiterated the above-mentioned theme of the Israeli government thereby whitewashing its ethnic cleansing and genocide.

The fact that they both write in a softer, non-brazen and more subtle style does not diminish this observation.

The heroic Ahmed al-Ahmed is similarly whitewashed presumably because the heroism of a Muslim is considered inconsistent with Israel’s unconscionable narrative.

The implied narrative of Hart and Moses is that the life of an Israeli trumps the life of a Palestinian — including a child — and the right of Israelis to self-determination overrides the right of Palestinians to self-determination.

Further, Palestinian refusal to accept this narrative is consequentially responsible in some way for the Bondi Beach slaughter.

It is bad enough to hold this position; it is even worse to tar the Bondi victims with this same brush.

An aside: Jewish exceptionalism
 As an aside, this narrative is reinforced by a Zionist claim of Jewish exceptionalism that is used to justify an untenable position that granting equal rights to others in Israel would be “tantamount to suicide.”

This exceptionalism argument is effectively rebutted by a paywalled article by Peter Beinart in the October 2025 issue of Le Monde Diplomatique: Jewish exceptionalism not so exceptional.

Beinart points out that the past experiences of South Africa, Northern Ireland and the American South where “. . . time and again dominant groups have loudly claimed that granting equal rights would be tantamount to suicide . . .” were always wrong.

Getting it right
 On December 17, the Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) released a public condemnation of the Bondi Beach atrocity.

It was appalled by the antisemitic terror attack, sided with the Jewish community, and acknowledged that for more than two years it had marched with Jews and Jewish groups against the genocide in Gaza.

Further, it criticised the use of the Bondi Beach slaughter by Benjamin Netanyahu and others to condemn and blame Palestinians and others for opposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

For completion, the statement from national co-chair John Minto is published below:

“PSNA was appalled and shocked at Sunday’s antisemitic terror attack targeting the Jewish community in Australia on the first day of the celebration of Hanukkah.

“The best antidote to race hatred is community solidarity and we stand with the Jewish community in the face of such horror.

“For many decades, and the past two years in particular, we have protested and marched side by side with Jews and Jewish groups to condemn the genocide in Gaza and stand with the Palestinian people in their struggle for liberation.

“We have always made clear our campaign targets Israel’s genocide, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing. Jews are not responsible for these policies, despite Netanyahu claiming he is acting and speaking as ‘Prime Minister’ of all Jews.

“Palestine supporters were also appalled when Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, and leaders of the pro-Israeli lobby in Australia and New Zealand, tried to exploit the horror in Bondi by blaming it on condemnation of Israel’s genocide and the Australian government’s (largely non-existent) support for Palestinian rights.

“This blaming almost invariably comes from people who support Israel’s actions in Gaza. Their strategy is to exploit the killing in Bondi to help the Israel government carry on its genocide and ethnic cleansing without criticism.”

“We are concerned that the strategy will cross the Tasman to panic the New Zealand government into introducing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-semitism into New Zealand legislation.

“This definition is used to target people supporting Palestine. The Israeli government has managed to get it into government legislation, university rules and local government policy in many parts of the Western world.”

“It’s all part of Netanyahu’s ‘Eighth Front’ to silence Israel’s critics.

“It has no place here.”

Apart from agreeing with it, there is nothing I could say that could add to its persuasive and powerful message. It speaks for itself.

Ian Powell is a progressive health, labour market and political “no-frills” forensic commentator in New Zealand. A former senior doctors union leader for more than 30 years, he blogs at Second Opinion and Political Bytes, where this article was first published. Republished with the author’s permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Mixed reactions to shock axing of All Blacks coach Scott Robertson

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By Adam Burns, RNZ News reporter

There has been mixed reaction in parts of New Zealand’s red-and-black country — Canterbury — following the shock axing of All Blacks coach Scott Robertson.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) confirmed today the 51-year-old known as “Razor” had departed the position two years early following a recent end-of-season review.

A process would commence immediately to find Robertson’s replacement, NZR said.

The New Zealand Herald reported a “scathing” post-season review outlined dissatisfaction among senior players around the All Blacks coaching, culture and environment.

At a press conference today, NZR chair David Kirk said the “trajectory” of the All Blacks was not on track.

“The All Blacks are not on track the way they need to be on track for the 2027 World Cup,” he said.

In a statement, Robertson said coaching the All Blacks had been an honour and that he was “gutted by the outcome”.

‘Incredibly proud’
“I am incredibly proud of what this team has achieved and of the progress we have made. We have brought through a talented group of young players, strengthened the depth across the squad, and set solid foundations for the years ahead,” he said.

Robertson took over as head coach of the national team in 2024, with his appointment confirmed a year earlier, despite his predecessor Ian Foster still at the helm.

His elevation to the coaching position was a largely popular one, particularly in Canterbury, where he led the Crusaders to seven Super Rugby championships.

There was a range of feeling on the streets of central Christchurch, following news of Robertson’s departure.

A Rolleston woman told RNZ she felt the move was hasty, laying blame with how the governing body was run.

“Bureaucracy, the hierarchy and the juxtaposition of people in the rugby union really appals me,” she said.

“I think he should’ve been given another chance.”

Views from patrons
RNZ spoke to a couple of patrons at central city sports bar The Loft.

One man said the news had come as a surprise.

“The words we’re seeing from [senior players], maybe it’s warranted. It’s very unlike the All Blacks to do such an act,” he said.

“Maybe the time is right, to bring someone else in.”

He endorsed a move to replace Robertson with Highlanders and former Japan coach Jamie Joseph.

A fellow patron also hoped Joseph would be appointed.

“I think in the modern age you do have to listen to the experienced members of a team,” he said.

‘I like his dancing’
“I think it’s fair to be able to take the feedback that’s come over the last six months from some of the key members of the squad. If it means that Razor and [others] lose their jobs for the good of New Zealand Rugby then I think it’s fair.”

Another woman was shocked by the announcement.

“I feel a little sorry for him. I thought he was doing all right. And I like his dancing,” she said.

“Give him a chance.”

The All Blacks won 10 of 14 tests during Robertson’s first year in charge.

Last year the team clinched 10 wins from their 13-test programme for a 74 percent winning ratio — higher than his predecessor Ian Foster.

The season was ultimately marred by three stinging defeats, including a historic test loss in Argentina, a record-breaking 43-10 hammering at the hands of the Springboks, and defeat to England at Twickenham on the end of year tour.

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

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Cantabrians react to axing of All Blacks coach Scott Robertson

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Scott Robertson has been axed as All Blacks coach. AFP

There has been mixed reaction in parts of red and black country following the shock axing of All Blacks coach Scott Robertson.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) confirmed the 51-year-old had departed the position following a recent end-of-season review.

A process would commence immediately to find Robertson’s replacement, NZR said on Thursday afternoon.

The NZ Herald reported the “scathing” post-season review outlined dissatisfaction among senior players around the All Blacks coaching, culture and environment.

At a press conference on Thursday afternoon, NZR chair David Kirk said the “trajectory” of the All Blacks was not on track.

“The All Blacks are not on track the way they need to be on track for the 2027 World Cup,” he said.

In a statement , Robertson said coaching the All Blacks had been an honour and that he was “gutted by the outcome”.

“I am incredibly proud of what this team has achieved and of the progress we have made. We have brought through a talented group of young players, strengthened the depth across the squad, and set solid foundations for the years ahead,” he said.

Robertson took over as head coach of the national team in 2024, with his appointment confirmed a year earlier, despite his predecessor Ian Foster still at the helm.

His elevation to the coaching position was a largely popular one, particularly in Canterbury, where he led the Crusaders to seven Super Rugby championships.

There was a range of feeling on the streets of central Christchurch, following news of Robertson’s departure.

A Rolleston woman told RNZ she felt the move was hasty, laying blame with how the governing body was run.

“Bureaucracy, the hierarchy and the juxtaposition of people in the rugby union really appals me,” she said.

“I think he should’ve been given another chance.”

RNZ spoke to a couple of patrons at central city sports bar The Loft.

One man said the news had come as a surprise.

“The words we’re seeing from [senior players], maybe it’s warranted. It’s very unlike the All Blacks to do such an act,” he said.

“Maybe the time is right, to bring someone else in.”

He endorsed a move to replace Robertson with Highlanders and former Japan coach Jamie Joseph.

A fellow patron also hoped Joseph would be appointed.

“I think in the modern age you do have to listen to the experienced members of a team,” he said.

“I think it’s fair to be able to take the feedback that’s come over the last six months from some of the key members of the squad. If it means that Razor and [others] lose their jobs for the good of New Zealand Rugby then I think it’s fair.”

Another woman was shocked by the announcement.

“I feel a little sorry for him. I thought he was doing all right. And I like his dancing,” she said.

“Give him a chance.”

The All Blacks won 10 of 14 tests four during Robertson’s first year in charge.

Last year the team clinched 10 wins from their 13-test programme.

The season was ultimately marred by three stinging defeats, including a historic test loss in Argentina, a record-breaking hammering at the hands of the Springboks, and defeat to England at Twickenham on the end of year tour.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

View from The Hill: Sussan Ley wedged by her own troops on Albanese omnibus legislation

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Anthony Albanese’s omnibus bill on hate speech and gun reform is once again exposing Sussan Ley’s lack of authority over her colleagues.

Ley on Thursday declared the bill was “pretty unsalvageable”, flagging the Coalition’s expected opposition in next week’s special two-day sitting of federal parliament.

The Coalition had a choice – to adopt “a glass half-full” or a “glass half-empty” approach to the legislation. It could have raised objections but devoted itself to negotiating changes. Instead, it is showing little interest in trying to get a deal.

One central reason seems obvious. The rebels in Ley’s ranks have thumbed their noses at the leader, publicly indicating they’ve already decided they’ll go their own way on the legislation. Most of them could not be brought into line to back any deal.

Former home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie said, “I’ll be voting no to this bill” because, he said, it attacked freedom of speech and religion. Right-wing Liberal Alex Antic said, “I have absolutely no intention, regardless of the position adopted by the Coalition frankly, of supporting this bill and all of the hate crimes stuff that goes with it”.

Nationals backbencher Matt Canavan described the measures as the “biggest attack on free speech since Robert Menzies tried to ban the Communist Party in the 1950s”.

The Nationals generally are also objecting to the tougher gun provisions in the other half of the bill.

No doubt the prime minister had wedging the opposition in mind when he combined the two parts of the bill. But more importantly, Ley clearly is being wedged on multiple fronts by a significant number of her own colleagues.

It’s a familiar Ley story. Before Christmas the opposition could have reached an agreement on the government’s biodiversity legislation. But faced with internal division, it failed to do so, leaving it to the Greens to do the deal.

Ley had already had to fall in behind her colleagues’ demand for a retreat on the policy commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.

In the wake of the Bondi massacre, Ley has gone from the being on the front foot, when the opposition was part of forcing a reluctant Albanese into belatedly calling a royal commission, to seeming like she’s just playing politics.

The opposition had demanded parliament be recalled before Christmas, urging immediate legislation to crack down on the promotion of radical Islamic ideology. Now it not only says the proposed legislation is flawed, but that it is being too rushed.

There are legitimate points on both fronts. But the opposition does not look like it is making its arguments to reach a constructive agreed outcome, but to give itself an excuse to oppose legislation on which it could not achieve internal unity.

As various critics (not just the opposition) have pointed out the exemption in the bill for those quoting religious texts for teaching purposes is a can of worms.

The Executive Council for Australian Jewry has said, “Invoking religion as an excuse to dehumanise and mistreat others simply on the basis of who they are, must surely be a thing of the past”.

Albanese urges critics of the exemption to read the Old Testament, but that doesn’t take us far in practical terms. With or without the exemption, the question of quoting religious texts raises potential issues.

The opposition, and others, are also right in arguing this legislation is being pushed excessively fast. But Ley has no credibility on this, given she said in a statement on December 18, “The Coalition calls on the Prime Minister to immediately recall Parliament to pass urgent legislation to eradicate antisemitism and strengthen Australia’s counter-terrorism laws”.

On Thursday Ley found herself subject to a further wedge – this time from the peak Jewish body, the ECAJ (though it would reject the “wedge” description).

Its co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said in a statement: “Some of the Opposition’s criticisms of the Bill are valid and repeat concerns which we ourselves have expressed about the Bill’s shortcomings. However, there are also some important positives in the Bill, including the introduction of a new listing regime to proscribe extremist hate organisations.

“The ECAJ would urge the Coalition not to allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good. By all means seek to amend the Bill to remove its shortcomings, but a wholesale rejection of the Bill would not at all be warranted. In our view, the defeat of the Bill would be a retrograde step.

“The status quo is no longer tolerable after the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi. We need legislative reform now even if it is less than ideal.”

This is a hard appeal for an opposition that has repeatedly said it is devoted to use all means to combat antisemitism to resist. But so far Ley remains unmoved.

If the opposition does hold out, the government will need to rely on support from the Greens if it is secure its legislation. They will have their own demands, including extending the protections against hate to women, LGBTIQ people and others.

At the moment, however, the bill is an orphan.

The Conversation

Michelle Grattan 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.

– ref. View from The Hill: Sussan Ley wedged by her own troops on Albanese omnibus legislation – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-sussan-ley-wedged-by-her-own-troops-on-albanese-omnibus-legislation-272440

Many of Wairarapa’s recent forest fires began in old burn piles, Fire and Emergency says

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Juken New Zealand manages 15,000ha of forest plantations across Wairarapa and says it has a detailed plan to mitigate forest fire risk. LDR / Supplied

A small forest fire outside Masterton on Tuesday highlighted the increased risk of forest fires in the region.

Although the Bideford blaze was quickly extinguished, Wairarapa’s mostly dry summers and significant forestry industry have some worried.

However, the region’s biggest forestry firm said it was well prepared.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand community risk manager Phil Soal said many of the forest fires across Wairarapa this month had been started accidentally.

“Over the last month crews have attended a number of callouts after fires have reignited from old burn piles.”

Late last year, at a workshop on climate change organised for the Carterton, Masterton and South Wairarapa district councils, an attendee said he was concerned about possible forest fires.

“We sit out in the country. A lot of us have neighbouring forests – a lot of people are surrounded by forests.”

He said if there were a forest fire, it was possible that the water in farmers’ dams could be used.

“Fires generally occur in summer, so therefore that farmer – relying on the dam for stock water – is he going to say no and then be a party to probably letting the forest fire go and endanger lives?”

Soal agreed it was possible farm dams could be used in a fire emergency, but this was one of many possible water sources.

Fire and Emergency NZ crews would source water from “any sufficient open water supply”, he said.

“Depending on the location of the incident, firefighting water supplies will be taken from a number of places including lakes, rivers, water tankers, oceans and swimming pools. Water could also be taken from farmers’ dams.

“Initially, water supplies will come from our fire trucks and water tankers until a sufficient water supply is established.”

Juken ‘constantly reviewing’ fire dams

Sean McBride is the chief forest officer at Juken New Zealand (JNL), a forestry company that manages 15,000 hectares of forest plantations across Wairarapa.

He said the company had thousands of litres of its own water as well as other firefighting equipment.

Forest owners took their responsibility regarding wildfire risk very seriously, he said, and JNL has an emergency response plan that gets updated annually.

“JNL has installed a number of 1 million-plus litre, lined fire dams at strategic locations throughout our forest estate,” he said.

“These are accessible to both fire appliances and helicopters … We are constantly reviewing the coverage our fire dams give and will be considering new installations in an ongoing basis.

“JNL has invested significantly over our 35-year history in the Wairarapa and have two of our own fire appliances based at our fire station at Waingawa.

“We also have 6km of fire hose, 11 fire pumps, one slip-on unit, access to heavy machinery – bulldozers and excavators – and approximately 50 trained firefighters within our staff and contract workforce.

“JNL management staff are also trained to be able to participate in various roles in an incident management team at any forest fire event.”

He said more than 98 percent of wildfires occurred as a result of human activity.

“If we can implement best practice to reduce the risk of ignition then the impact of wildfire on rural communities is significantly reduced.”

JNL’s plan included forest maps with water source locations, emergency and resource contacts, and response plans scaled to the level of risk.

The plan included wildfire guidelines that complied with the New Zealand Forest Owners Association’s forest fire risk management advice.

Permits needed in restricted season

Soal said Wairarapa was currently in a restricted fire season and he encouraged people to be extra vigilant.

He said property owners needed a permit to light an open-air fire.

“Physically check any burn piles from the last few weeks are fully extinguished. If in doubt, put more water on it to make sure it’s fully extinguished ahead of these extreme conditions.”

People in doubt about smoke or a fire should always call 111.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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

One uprising, two stories: how each side is trying frame the uprising in Iran

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University

Since the outbreak of the current wave of protests in Iran, two sharply competing narratives have emerged to explain what is unfolding in the streets.

For the ruling establishment, the unrest is portrayed as a foreign-engineered plot. They argue it is an externally-driven attempt to destabilise the state through manipulation, infiltration, and psychological operations.

For the opposition, the same events are framed as a nationwide uprising rooted in long-standing grievances. They argue the protests signal a rupture between society and the political system.

How the “story” of a conflict is told is a key component in warfare. The Iran protest are offering two very different stories.

Narrative crafting as psychological warfare

In the digital age, psychological warfare has moved beyond conventional propaganda into the realm of what academics Ihsan Yilmaz and Shahram Akbarzadeh calls Strategic Digital Information Operations (SDIOs).

Psychological operations function as central instruments of power, designed not only to suppress dissent but reshape how individuals perceive reality, legitimacy, and political possibility. Their objective is cognitive and emotional:

  • to induce fear, uncertainty, and helplessness
  • to discredit opponents
  • to construct a sense of inevitability around a certain political scenario.

These techniques are employed not only by states, but increasingly by non-state actors as well.

Social media platforms have become the primary theatres of this psychological struggle. Hashtags, memes, manipulated images, and coordinated commenting – often amplified by automated accounts – are used to frame events, assign blame, and shape emotional responses at scale.

Crucially, audiences are not passive recipients of these narratives. Individuals sympathetic to a particular framing actively reproduce, reinforce, and police it within digital echo chambers. In this way, confirmation bias flourishes and alternative interpretations are dismissed or attacked.

Because of this, narrative control is not a secondary dimension of conflict but a central battleground. How an uprising is framed can shape its trajectory. It can determine whether it remains peaceful or turns violent, and whether domestic repression or foreign intervention comes to be seen as justified or inevitable.

The Iranian regime’s narrative

The Iranian regime has consistently framed the current uprising as a foreign-engineered plot, orchestrated by Israel, the United States and allied intelligence services. In this narrative, the protests are not an expression of domestic grievance but a continuation of Israel’s recent confrontation with Iran. This, it argues, is part of a broader campaign to overthrow the regime and turn the country into chaos.

Two weeks after the protests began, the state organised large pro-regime demonstrations. Shortly afterward, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared these rallies had “thwarted the plan of foreign enemies that was meant to be carried out by domestic mercenaries”.

The message was clear: dissent was not only illegitimate but treasonous. Those participating in it were portrayed as instruments of external powers rather than citizens with political demands.

Demonising dissent serves a dual purpose. It is not only a method of silencing opposition, but also a tool for engineering perception and shaping emotional responses.

By portraying protesters as foreign agents, the regime seeks to manufacture compliance, discourage wavering supporters, and project an image of widespread popularity. The objective is not simply to punish critics, but to signal that public dissent will carry heavy costs.

To reinforce this narrative, pro-regime social media accounts have circulated content that blends ideological framing with selective factual material. Analyses arguing that events in Iran follow a familiar “regime change playbook” – have been widely shared, as have Israeli statements suggesting intelligence operations inside Iran. Cherry-picking expert commentary or isolated data points to justify repression is a common feature of this approach.

The timing and amplification of such content are also significant. Social media networks are deployed via “algorithmic manipulation” to make the regime’s framing go viral and marginalise counter views.

As this digital campaign unfolds, it is reinforced by more traditional forms of control. Internet restrictions and shutdowns limit access to alternative sources of information. This allows state media to dominate communications and thwart challenges to the official narrative.

In this environment, the regime’s story functions not merely as propaganda, but as a strategic instrument. It aims to redefine the uprising, delegitimise dissent, and preserving authority by controlling how events are understood.

The opposition narrative

Though the opposition is divided, but two main groups have appeared active in framing the opposition narrative: those who support an Iranian monarchy, and dissenting armed group Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK). Despite their differences, the two have contributed to the same story.

They have crafted a persuasive narrative, framing the uprising as a moral emergency requiring external intervention, particularly by the United States and Israel. This narrative does not represent all opposition voices, but it has gained visibility through social media, exile media outlets, and activist networks. Its core objective is to bring international attention to the conflict and put the case for, then bring about, regime change in Iran.

One central technique has been the legitimisation and encouragement of violence. Calls for armed protest and direct confrontation with security forces mark a clear shift away from demand-based, civilian mobilisation toward a violent uprising.

A high number of state forces casualties – reportedly more than 114 by January 11 – is an example of the effectiveness of this technique. This escalation is often justified as necessary to “keep the movement alive” and generate a level of bloodshed that would compel international intervention.

According to external conflict-monitoring assessments, clashes between armed protesters and state forces have in fact resulted in significant casualties on both sides.

A second technique involves the strategic inflation of casualty figures. Opposition platforms have claimed the death toll to be far higher than figures cited by independent estimates.

Such exaggeration serves a clear psychological and political purpose. It is intended to shock and sway international opinion, frame the situation as genocidal or exceptional, and increase pressure on foreign governments to act militarily.

A third element has been the use of intimidation and rhetorical coercion. In some high-profile media appearances, opposition figures have openly threatened pro-regime commentators, warning of retribution once power changes hands.

This language serves multiple functions. It seeks to silence alternative viewpoints, project confidence and inevitability, and present the situation as one of good versus evil. At the same time, such rhetoric risks alienating undecided audiences and reinforcing regime claims the uprising will lead to chaos or revenge politics.

These practices reveal how parts of the opposition have also embraced narrative warfare as a strategic tool. This narrative is used to amplify violence, inflate harm, and suppress competing interpretations. It aims to redefine the uprising not merely as a domestic revolt, but as a humanitarian and security crisis that demands foreign intervention.

In doing so, it mirrors the regime’s own effort to weaponise storytelling in a conflict where perception is as consequential as power.

In different ways, both narratives ultimately sideline the protesters themselves. They reduce a diverse, grassroots movement into an instrument of power struggle, either to legitimise repression at home or justify intervention from abroad.

The Conversation

Ali Mamouri 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.

– ref. One uprising, two stories: how each side is trying frame the uprising in Iran – https://theconversation.com/one-uprising-two-stories-how-each-side-is-trying-frame-the-uprising-in-iran-273573

Gastro outbreak affects 30 staff at Wellington Hospital emergency department

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington Hospital’s emergency department. RNZ / REECE BAKER

More than two dozen staff are caught up in a gastro outbreak at Wellington Hospital’s emergency department.

Health New Zealand has put precautionary measures in place to try minimise its spread.

Dedicated infection control teams are also in place.

The first cases were reported last Friday and a 12 hour long deep clean was completed the next day.

Health New Zealand said about 30 people have shown symptoms consistent with the stomach illness.

It said sick leave is being managed, and patient care is continuing as normal.

There was no indication of it spreading further through the hospital.

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Foreign Minister Winston Peters says NZ ‘appalled’ by violence, repression in Iran

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Peters has condemned what he described as a brutal crackdown by Iran’s security forces (file image). RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Foreign Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand is “appalled” by an escalation of violence and repression in Iran.

Protests against the regime began in the capital Tehran in late December, sparked by the country’s dire economic conditions, and have since spread across the country.

Peters condemned what he described as a brutal crackdown by Iran’s security forces – which has included the reported killing of thousands of protesters.

That crackdown had also included an almost total internet blackout, which meant few videos had been published on social media, and verifying information had become difficult.

Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran on 9 January 2026. AFP/MAHSA

Iranians had a right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression and access to information – which was being brutally suppressed, Peters said.

US President Donald Trump had repeatedly threatened military action over Tehran’s severe response to the protests, however Reuters on Thursday reported Trump believed killings were subsiding and mass execution of protesters was unlikely.

US-based human rights group Hrana said more than 2500 people – including 12 children – have been killed in the protests.

Peters urged all New Zealanders who were still in Iran to leave immediately.

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From saviour to sacked: Scott Robertson’s rapid rise and fall

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Scott Robertson. Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images

He was heralded as the All Blacks’ saviour.

Calls for the highly accomplished, charismatic, break-dancing coach to take the country’s top job became deafening around Aotearoa. And finally, those calls were answered.

Scott Robertson, having created an incomparable dynasty in Christchurch with the Crusaders, succeeded Ian Foster as the 29th All Blacks head coach in 2024.

But the anticipated Razor-inspired renaissance instead became another dark age for the All Blacks.

Coaching departures, player dissent, and record defeats made for a tumultuous tenure for Robertson, one which has now been unceremoniously cut short.

Here is a timeline of the rise and fall of ‘Razor’:

2024:

The reign of Razor begins

Fresh off a heartbreaking one-point loss in the 2023 World Cup final, a sense of optimism enveloped the country as Robertson won a popular appointment to take over from Foster who was not exactly beloved by the notoriously rabid All Black fan base. Razor didn’t take long to ingratiate himself to the media, fronting for a stand up in early January. Rocking sandals and shorts, Razor made it clear quickly he would bring a unique flavour to the role.

All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson during a media interview at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland on Tuesday 9 January 2024. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

A rosy start

A strong English side arrived on New Zealand shores to usher in a new All Black era and while a winning start for Razor’s men. It was a scrappy and nervy debut in Dunedin, the All Blacks sneaking home 16-15. This was followed by a slightly more convincing win in Auckland 24-17. After two tests of his tenure, Robertson gave himself a “a good pass mark” for his performance.

First cracks

After dispatching Fiji in San Diego, Robertson would inherit the capital curse, suffering his first loss as the Pumas pounced in Wellington, winning 38-30. Just the third time Argentina had toppled the All Black empire.

“I’m disappointed, I’m hurt,” said Robertson after the game. “We’ve just got look ourselves in the mirror and own it.”

MacDonald departs

Just eight months in to his reign, assistant coach Leon MacDonald abruptly handed in his resignation ahead of the tour to South Africa, citing differences in attacking philosophy and coaching direction.

Robertson said he and MacDonald had “differing views” which they couldn’t overcome.

“We have been having some honest conversations with each other for a little while now and both agreed it wasn’t working,” Robertson said at the time.

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson (L) and assistant coach Leon MacDonald. photosport

Beaten back to back by the Boks

MacDonald’s dramatic departure was followed by consecutive defeats to the old foe in the republic. Both tests could have easily gone the way of the Kiwis, but Razor’s side were lacking the killer instinct of past All Black sides, and couldn’t land the decisive blow.

“Our duty demands that we win those games. We will be frank and honest around it,” Robertson said post game.

A glimmer and a glitch

The All Blacks bounced back with five wins on the trot, locking the Bledisloe away for a 20th year in a row with a 31-28 win followed by a more resounding 33-13 in Wellington over the Wallabies.

Victories over Japan and then a 24-22 victory at Twickenham was followed by arguably the best performance by Robertson’s All Blacks as they edged Ireland 23-13. However, the gloss was quickly removed in Paris as the French put a halt to the winning run.

“There were just a couple of little moments where the game swung their way,” Robertson said of the loss to Les Bleus.

Robertson ends the year with 10 wins from 14 tests.

Scott Robertson poses for a selfie. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

2025:

Understrength French sent packing

The year was again off to a perfect start as the All Blacks got their revenge and swept a third sting French side aside, racking up 103 points in the three test wins.

“We found a way to win and play really good footy,” Robertson said at the conclusion of the series.

Historic loss in South America

Another unwanted blemish on Robertson’s record as the All Blacks were beaten for the first time in history in Argentina soil, going down 29-23 in Buenos Aires. Discipline continues to plague the side, as the All Blacks were shown three yellow cards in the defeat.

“Test footy’s tough, we didn’t get a lot of little things go our way,” said Robertson.

Humiliation in the capital

A week on from their 51st consecutive win at Eden Park came the low point of Robertson’s reign and one of the darkest days in All Black history.

A shellshocked All Black outfit were subjected to a brutal second half blitz from the Boks, as scarcely believable scoreline read 43-10 when the carnage was mercifully ended.

“There were a couple of really big moments there and the game got away,” Roberston said after the rout.

Ceri Evans (Head of Leadership + Mental Performance) and New Zealand coach Scott Robertson dejected after loss to Argentina. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

Second-half surrender

Another topsy turvy end of year tour offered both hope and frustration for fans as the All Blacks produced classy wins over Ireland and Scotland, the latter being a brave comeback in Edinburgh, only to let things slip against the English at Twickenham. Second half woes struck again as England racked up 25 unanswered points to take the game away for the eventual 33-19 victory.

“The last couple of games we had finished quite well. But tonight we didn’t do that,” reflected Robertson.

Razor’s record now reads 20 wins from 27 tests, a 74 per cent win rate.

2026:

Razor gets cut

With rumours rife of a player revolt, NZ Rugby make the bold call to sack Robertson with the Rugby World Cup taking place next year.

New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson www.photosport.nz

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Man, 17, to appear in Youth Court after person shot on Christmas Day in Christchurch

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police are not looking anyone else in relation to this incident. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Police have arrested a 17-year-old after a person was shot on Christmas Day in Christchurch, Hornby.

They said they received reports of a man being chased by a group, including a person armed with a gun, just after 6:30pm on December 25.

Detective Sergeant Luke Vaughan said a person was later taken to hospital with a suspected gunshot wound, which was not life-threatening.

He said a 17-year-old man was arrested on Thursday charged with wounding with reckless disregard for the safety of others, among other charges.

He is due to appear in the Christchurch Youth Court on Friday.

Police are not looking anyone else in relation to this incident.

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Search for tramper in Kahurangi National Park suspended

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Graham Garnett, 66, was meant to return on 30 December. Supplied / NZ Police

The search for missing tramper Graham Garnett, 66, who failed to return from a hike in the Kahurangi National Park on December 30, has been suspended.

Police Search and Rescue sergeant Jonny Evans said the decision follows extensive searches of the area.

The search for Garnett involved four specialist canyon teams who were flown to Motueka to assist, as well as a Defence Force NH90 helicopter.

Evans said Garnett’s family have passed on their immense gratitude to all who were involved in the search.

“Police continue to support the family in their ongoing efforts to bring Graham home and we remain ready to respond if new information comes to light,” Evans said.

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‘He lived fully. He loved deeply’: Tributes for journalist and playwright Aroha Awarau

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Award winning Māori journalist and playwright Aroha Awarau. Supplied/Facebook

Award winning Māori journalist and playwright Aroha Awarau has died at the age of 49.

A post on Facebook confirmed he died on Wednesday afternoon “surrounded by care and love.”

“True to the way he lived, Aroha met this final moment with grace, courage, and his unmistakable spirit. Cancer shortened the timeline, but it never diminished the person he is. The sharp mind. The sharper tongue. The flamboyance. The creativity. The generosity of friendship. He lived fully. He loved deeply,” the post read.

Awarau’s debut play, Luncheon, starring Jennifer Ward-Lealand and directed by Katie Wolfe, won Best Play at the 2014 New Zealand Script Writing Awards.

His second play, Officer 27, loosely based on a real-life police shooting, was a finalist at the NZ Adam Playwriting Awards.

He worked again with Ward-Lealand and broadcaster Peata Melbourne for the short film Disrupt. His most recent work, the short film Puti, was released in 2025.

In journalism he worked for various New Zealand media outlets including Woman’s Weekly, Woman’s Day, Māori Television and RNZ.

He famously interviewed Oprah Winfrey for Māori Television’s Native Affairs in 2018 when she visited New Zealand while shooting the Ava DuVernay directed film A Wrinkle in Time.

Aroha Awarau with actor Jennifer Ward-Lealand and broadcaster Peata Melbourne.

Ward-Lealand took to Facebook to pay tribute to Awarau. “E te hoa piri pono, Aroha Awarau, kua wehe wawe rawa koe, ā, kei te tangi hotuhotu tēnei ngākau. E hia kē ngā wā kua mahi tahi tāua, kua katakata tāua, kua whakawhiti kōrero tāua. Ka nui taku aroha mōu,” she wrote.

Kaupapa Māori performing arts company Te Pou Theatre also took to Facebook saying “Aroha Awarau: fabulous fierce friend and storyteller extraordinairre has finished his brave fight and we are broken hearted.”

“Whether he was uplifting peoples true stories or weaving his own worlds for the stage and screen, he was always creating, always working to share those stories that needed to be heard particularly for ngāi Māori, for the pacific, BIPOC and queer community. Aroha has been a loved part of the Te Pou whānau over the past decade and we are heartbroken that we’ll not hear that laugh again in the foyer. He has mastered his craft, shared his pūkenga with others and left an incredible and brave legacy of work for the world.”

Awarau will be at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Kōtuku in Auckland until midday Friday. Final details for his funeral are yet to be released.

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Helicopters, ambulances sent to crash in Far North’s Waipapakauri

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Source: Radio New Zealand

St John said it was not yet clear how many people were injured. Supplied / St John

Emergency services are responding to a crash in the Far North on Thursday afternoon.

They were alerted to the incident in the small settlement of Waipapakauri at about 4.40pm, and two helicopters as well as two ambulances, two St John rapid response units and an operations manager responded.

St John said it was not yet clear how many people were injured.

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Caitlin Johnstone: On ‘leftists’ and ‘anarchists’ who cheer for regime change in Iran

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Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone

Is there anything more undignified than “leftists” and “anarchists” who cheer on the fall of empire-targeted governments even as the empire moves war machinery into place?

Ooh look at me, I’m sticking it to the man by supporting the same agendas as the US State Department. I’m being punk rock by regurgitating the same war propaganda talking points as John Bolton.

I’m fighting the power by backing the foreign policy objectives of the most powerful empire that has ever existed.

Embarrassing, man.

If you want to have a serious political outlook it is necessary to have a more layered understanding of the world than “tyranny bad”, because as Westerners we ourselves are ruled by the most tyrannical power structure on earth.

That power structure ceaselessly targets the few remaining states that have successfully resisted being absorbed into its globe-spanning power umbrella like Iran, Russia, China, North Korea, and Cuba.

Those states have successfully resisted being absorbed into the imperial blob exactly because they have strong governments that don’t hesitate to exert control to stomp out all the imperial operations and infiltrations which would otherwise have overthrown them.

This doesn’t mean these governments are wonderful and flawless, it just means they possess the qualities that enable a state to resist the empire’s coups, proxy conflicts, color revolutions and foreign influence operations.

If your only analysis of state power dynamics is “tyranny bad”, then you will naturally find yourself in opposition to the unabsorbed states and (whether you admit it or not) on the side of the most tyrannical regime on earth  —  namely the US-centralised Western empire.

No other power structure has spent the 21st century slaughtering people by the millions in wars of aggression around the world, attacking civilian populations with deadly starvation sanctions, staging coups, instigating proxy conflicts, and circling the planet with hundreds of military bases.

Only the US empire is doing that. Dominating the entire planet with murderous brute force is as tyrannical as it gets. If this isn’t true, then nothing is.

If you want to have a serious political worldview, you need to get real about this. The premise that the fall of an authoritarian government is always inherently positive has no place in the understanding of a grown adult, especially if that grown adult happens to live in the core of the Western empire, and especially if that empire is presently working to orchestrate the overthrow of the government in question.

The more power structures are absorbed into the empire, the larger and more powerful the empire becomes. Desiring their absorption is desiring more power for the US empire.

And you can lie to yourself and say that you don’t want Iran to be absorbed into the control of the US empire, you just want its people to live in a free and democratic country. But we both know that’s not going to happen.

Once the strength of the Iranian government has been collapsed there will be a power vacuum that is filled by whatever faction is able to secure control, and the strongest faction will be whichever one is backed by the US and its allies. There is no organic faction within Iran that is strong enough to stand against the installation of a US puppet regime at this time, besides the one that presently exists.

That’s the reality of the situation. It’s not ideal, but it is reality. You can choose to be real about reality, or you can choose to psychologically compartmentalise away from it and tell yourself a bunch of fairly tales about a global people’s revolution which just coincidentally happens to be starting in all the countries the US empire hates most. I personally find the latter undignified, self-debasing, and power-serving.

Caitlin Johnstone is an Australian independent journalist and poet. Her articles include The UN Torture Report On Assange Is An Indictment Of Our Entire Society. She publishes a website and Caitlin’s Newsletter. This article is republished with permission.

This article was first published on Café Pacific.

Kaitāia’s demolished mosaic wall finds new life in Far North town

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Kaitāia’s old mosaic wall has been transformed into a public artwork which doubles as a memorial and picnic area in the tiny Far North town of Broadwood. Peter de Graaf

A community mosaic in Kaitāia that sparked protests, a petition and even police complaints when it was demolished almost three years ago has found new life as an outdoor artwork in the tiny Far North town of Broadwood.

The mosaic, which lined a wall on Commerce Street, was created in 1997 by Ahipara artist Jen Gay using tiles made by around 500 local schoolchildren.

However, when the area was redeveloped as a town square in 2023, the mosaic wall was to have been demolished and dumped.

Kaitāia’s old Pak’nSave site, which included the mosaic wall, has since been redeveloped as a town square. Peter de Graaf

In the ensuing outcry, Jen Gay collected 800 signatures in two days and locals staged a protest by linking hands along the demolition site.

Tempers grew so heated project staff complained to Kaitāia police over alleged threats.

Despite a pledge to rescue and re-use the tiles in the new square, the cut-up sections of wall instead ended up stored in a stonemason’s yard.

Kaitāia’s mosaic wall prior to redevelopment of the old Pak’nSave site. Peter de Graaf

Jen Gay believed people were attached to the mosaic wall because so many had been involved in helping to make it 30 years earlier.

“It was made by children, from five years up, and it was a bit rough. But it’s not the Sistine Chapel, it’s the main street of Kaitāia, and people related to it.”

A new use for the tiles presented itself when the artist was approached by Broadwood resident Gay Semenoff.

The pair had previously worked on a mosaic seating area at Kaitāia College.

“She asked me, is there any chance you could do something like that at Broadwood? We need an injection of some life. There’s no reason for people to stop in Broadwood. It’s all a little bit depressed, and it used to be a thriving little town.”

Jen Gay told her she just happened to have a mosaic wall that needed recycling.

Turning the fragments into something new, however, wasn’t easy.

“They were one tonne [of] pieces, all different shapes and sizes. They made no sense at all, it was a nightmare figuring out how to construct something that was going to be fit for purpose in a public area, using something that was so ruined. But I hatched a plan.”

It turned out Broadwood also had a problem with people stealing wooden tables from the picnic area next to the town swimming hole.

Jen Gay’s answer was to build, with help from locals, three theft-proof mosaic tables, four large planters, connecting seats, and decorative sculptures representing kūkupa or native pigeons.

The recycled artwork includes frivolous touches such as mosaic kūkupa (wood pigeons). Peter de Graaf

Another local donated a barbecue, which was bricked in so it couldn’t be stolen, and Broadwood Gardening Club filled the planters.

The revamped picnic area included a memorial to local farmer and community stalwart Wayne Semenoff, who died late last year.

All the work was done by volunteers with funding from Creative Communities and the Kaikohe-Hokianga and Te Hiku community boards for transport and materials.

“It’s an amazing community. Everybody wanted to help,” Jen Gay said.

“They can see that it’s brightened up the whole environment. Well, it is a farming town, so I had one person say, ‘Oh, it looks like it’s made by children’. But that’s good. It was made by children.”

Kaitāia’s community mosaic wall has found new life in Broadwood. Peter de Graaf

Jen Gay said the project was about 80 percent complete. She expected the finishing touches would take another month.

“We’ll keep working until it’s done. And it will probably never be done, because we’re just going to mosaic the whole of Broadwood. Now people are saying things like, ‘The rubbish bin looks like it needs mosaicing. Or what about those ugly concrete power poles?’”

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EB Games heaving with crowds as gamers snatch final deals

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Hundreds of people have lined up outside EB Games stores around the country, eager to get some last minute bargains before the shops shut down.

The gaming outlet announced on Wednesday that it would be shutting all 38 stores around NZ by 31 January. They kicked off 50 percent off sales on Thursday, with no click and collect available until Friday, so gamers flocked on foot to stores.

A St Lukes mall security guard told RNZ by about 12.15pm up to 500 people had gathered around the store waiting to get in.

“… We were not prepared for anything like this… we had to setup barriers and organise a grumpy crowd on the fly,” he told RNZ.

Klaris Phillipson and her daughter Paige waited in line at St Lukes EB Games for three hours, eager to grab some Star Wars collectibles they said were hard to find anywhere else.

“I’ve been going there [EB Games] for 30 years, from when we lived in Sydney… there’s nothing like it in New Zealand,” Klaris told RNZ.

Brothers Kartik and Shivansh Sehgal waited three-and-a-half hours to get into EB Games, a shop they said defined their childhood.

They were looking to buy Pokémon cards, Lego sets and gaming accessoreies.

“A lot of things are online, but EB Games was the first place we would visit for reliable older secondhand games,” they said.

EB Games is an Australian-based video game and pop culture merchandise retailer, owned by GameStop since 2005. There are currently 336 outlets in Australia, according to GameStop’s latest annual report.

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Scott Robertson sacking captures global headlines

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Scott Robertson. John Cowpland / action press

The world’s media has reacted with surprise to the “jumpy” dumping of All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson.

Australian sport website The Roar headlined its report: “Razor gets the knife as All Blacks make cut-throat coaching call”.

“In a move straight out of the Rugby Australia playbook, the NZR have become jumpy after an underwhelming and dramatic, albeit moderately successful, two years in charge.

“The surprising departure of two well-credentialled coaches, including Leon MacDonald just months into his tenure because of “philosophical differences”, the clunky nature of their attack, and the side’s inability to problem solve on the run has led the NZR board to act.”

Scott Robertson. Alan Lee / www.photosport.nz

The RugbyPass website looked at what lies ahead.

“While several names, such as Highlanders boss and former Japan coach Jamie Joseph, are swirling as potential replacements, what All Blacks fans know for certain is that a historic schedule awaits whoever is backed to lead the team moving forward.

“A new-look global calendar, which features the inaugural Nations Championship and the return of expanded tours with South Africa, packaged as ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’, demands the incoming All Blacks coach hit the ground running.”

Scott Robertson (L) with Scott Barrett. Marty Melville/Photosport

Sydney’s Daily Telegraph took an Australian slant to its reportage.

“The All Blacks are on the hunt for a new coach to take them through to next year’s Rugby World Cup after Scott Robertson was sensationally sacked less than two years after taking on the job.

“Underperforming Wallabies’ coach Joe Schmidt has also been linked with a return to his homeland but has said he’s staying with Australia until his contract ends in July.

“Schmidt was spared the axe by Rugby Australia despite overseeing an abysmal run of defeats since taking over.”

MC Laura McGoldrick interviews the All Blacks coaching staff Assistant Coach Scott Hansen, Head Coach Scott Robertson, and Assistant Coach Jason Ryan. Andy Jackson/Getty Images

ESPN examined the lead-up to the axe swinging.

“The All Blacks have parted ways with embattled coach Scott Robertson after a disappointing 2025 season.

“According to multiple reports, including from the NZ Herald, All Blacks on-field leaders had been critical of his strategy, communication, and selections in a year in which they a series of shock losses to the likes of South Africa, Argentina, and England.”

Scott Robertson head coach of the All Blacks. Lynne Cameron/ActionPress

Reuters agency said pressure had been slowly building for the 51-year-old.

“Speculation over Robertson’s future has mounted since December amid reports of friction between senior players and All Blacks staff.

“Robertson, who replaced Ian Foster after the 2023 World Cup, guided the All Blacks to 10 wins out of 13 tests in the 2025 season but the former Canterbury Crusaders coach came under pressure following a first-ever away defeat to Argentina and a record 43-10 loss to South Africa in Wellington.”

A process would commence immediately to find Robertson’s replacement, NZ Rugby said on Thursday.

In a statement, Robertson said coaching the All Blacks had been an honour.

“I am incredibly proud of what this team has achieved and of the progress we have made. We have brought through a talented group of young players, strengthened the depth across the squad, and set solid foundations for the years ahead,” he said.

“Following the end of year review I have taken time to reflect on some of the feedback.

“My priority has always been the success of the All Blacks and, after discussions with New Zealand Rugby, I believe it is in the best interests of the team for me to step aside.

“I have therefore reached an agreement with New Zealand Rugby to end my contract early so a new coaching group has the time it needs to prepare and take the team into the next World Cup.”

Robertson said he was “gutted by this outcome”.

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Family and friends gather at scene of Waitārere Beach shooting

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ/Mark Papalii

Family and friends of a man who died in a shooting in Waitārere Beach gathered outside the property today.

A man, identified by his sister as 60-year-old Benjamin Harry Timmins, was found dead and three others with gunshot wounds following the shooting on Wednesday in the lower North Island township.

A 46-year-old woman and two males aged 17 and 21 remain critically wounded in Wellington Hospital.

A young girl who was at the scene of the shooting on Wednesday is being cared for by family.

60-year-old Benjamin Harry Timmins. Supplied

Police are not looking for anyone else in relation to the shooting.

There were hugs and tears from those gathered outside the property today, which is still cordoned off by police.

They huddled under umbrellas, and there was karakia.

Speaking to RNZ afterwards, Timmins’ sister Rachel O’Grady said she did not believe he could have hurt anyone.

“He was the calm one in the family.”

She said he always said “‘there’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a cup of tea’”.

RNZ/Mark Papalii

O’Grady said the family had been under intense pressure in the last year, and she had feared it was coming to a crisis.

“But nothing like this.”

The body of Timmins was due to be removed from the property today and taken to the mortuary in Palmerston North ahead of a post-mortem on Friday.

This morning, RNZ reported police seized a dismantled a gun, parts and ammunition from the property a few hours before returning after a 111 call to find Timmins dead and three others with gunshot wounds.

The person who had contacted police did not speak, and officers believe the call had been made by the child.

Meanwhile, police also confirmed they responded to a family harm-related incident at the property last Friday.

Rachel O’Grady and Benjamin Timmins. Facebook / Rach O’Grady

Timmins was arrested and charged with two counts of assault on a person in a family relationship and had been scheduled to appear in court on 14 January – the day of the fatal shooting.

In 1996, Timmins was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm, and then convicted again in 2019, on three charges of cultivation of cannabis, unlawful possession of ammunition and theft.

An appeal in 2024 was partly successful, with the conviction for unlawful possession of ammunition set aside.

Manawatū area commander Inspector Ross Grantham said the scene examination could extend into the weekend.

“We will continue to guard the scene and the public within the community can expect to see a more heavy police presence there than they normally would,” he said.

Where to get help:

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

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

Family Violence

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Health warnings lifted from Lyttelton bays after sewage overflow

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A health warning has been lifted on Thursday, after it was issued for Corsair Bay, Cass Bay and Rāpaki Bay on Saturday. nigelspiers/123RF

Health warnings have been lifted at Corsair Bay and nearby beaches in Lyttelton Harbour after an overflow of raw sewage last weekend.

The sewage leak at the popular swimming spot was caused by a septic tank overflowing when bottles were flushed down public toilets.

A health warning was issued for Corsair Bay, Cass Bay and Rāpaki Bay on Saturday.

National Public Health Service medical officer of health Dr Cheryl Brunton said the latest water testing results showed faecal bacteria levels at these sites were now below guideline values.

“This is great news for swimmers and other recreational water users who would have been avoiding the water following the high levels of contamination,” she said.

Christchurch City Council said the leak occurred after the septic system was blocked by items – including bottles – being put in the public toilets at Corsair Bay.

Council community parks manager Al Hardy said there were waste bins at the beach that people should have been using.

“The only thing that I can think is people may think that the council public facilities are more robust than their ones at home, but actually that’s not the case – if you clog your toilet at home, what does it do, it backs up on you, and the same thing has kind of occurred out here,” he said.

“The lucky thing is there’s a very small amount of waste that would’ve been overflowing it would’ve just been successive flushes if you will, once the system had backed up.”

The Canterbury Regional Council had been collecting water samples daily since the sewage leak.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for January 15, 2026

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ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on January 15, 2026.

Australia is betting on a new ‘strategic reserve’ to loosen China’s grip on critical minerals
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan M Park, Professor of Global Governance, University of Sydney MirageC/Getty The federal government has unveiled new details of its plan to create a A$1.2 billion critical mineral reserve. Three minerals will initially be the focus: antimony, gallium and rare earths (a group of 17 different elements).

The Making of an Autocrat: podcast out now
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Bergman, International Affairs Editor, The Conversation We used to have a pretty clear idea of what an autocrat was. History is full of examples: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, along with Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Viktor Orban today. The list goes on. So, where

China matches US contribution to Pacific environmental body a week after Trump pulls out
By Kaya Selby, RNZ Pacific journalist Just over a week after the United States announced its withdrawal from the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) — China has stepped in to fill the funding gap. President Donald Trump included the scientific organisation among a list of others that US government officials were ordered to withdraw from.

Pedestrian deaths just reached an 18-year high. Bull bars are part of the problem
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne Doug Bagg/Unsplash, CC BY The national road trauma data for December last year was just released, which means we now have a full picture of Australia’s road safety outcomes for 2025.

Another war in the Horn of Africa would be disastrous for one of the world’s most repressive nations
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Gourlay, Teaching Associate in Politics & International Relations at the School of Social Sciences, Monash University Independence Day celebration in Eritrea in 2023. J. Countess/Getty Images The geopolitical temperature is rising in the Red Sea. Ethiopia is threatening Eritrea, its diminutive neighbour, making a claim on

Does adding ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to your ChatGPT prompts really waste energy?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Morris, Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, New Zealand Serene Lee/Getty Images Cut the words “please” and “thank you” from your next ChatGPT query and, if you believe some of the talk online, you might think you are helping save the planet.

Native pollinators need more support than honeybees in Australia – here’s why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Graham H. Pyke, Honorary Professor in School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University A native _Leioproctus_ bee on _Calectasia narragara_. Kit Prendergast/@bee.babette_performer Late last year, the New South Wales government announced an additional A$9.5 million in funding to support honeybee keepers in the wake of the 2022 arrival

DNA from wolf pup’s last meal reveals new facts about woolly rhino’s extinction
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Neal Coulson, Professor of Zoology and Joint Head of Department of Biology, University of Oxford Woolly rhinos once roamed the Earth far and wide. Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock The woolly rhino, Coelodonta antiquitatis, would have been an impressive sight to the ancient people who painted images of them

Searching reporters’ homes, suing journalists and repressing citizen dissent are well-known steps toward autocracy
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantin Zhukov, Assistant Professor of Economics, Indiana University; Institute for Humane Studies Neither of these men — US President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin — likes being held accountable by the press. Contributor/Getty Images The FBI search of a Washington Post reporter’s home on

Could ChatGPT convince you to buy something? Threat of manipulation looms as AI companies gear up to sell ads
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Schneier, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School AI advertising could be hard to resist – or even recognize. showcake/iStock via Getty Images Eighteen months ago, it was plausible that artificial intelligence might take a different path than social media. Back then, AI’s development hadn’t

Whether or not US acquires Greenland, the island will be at the centre of a massive military build-up in the Arctic
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caroline Kennedy-Pipe, Professor of War Studies, Loughborough University Donald Trump is clearly in a hurry to dominate the political narrative in his second term of office. He began 2026 with strikes in Syria against Islamic State groups, the kidnapping of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, threats to intervene

Prioritising protein? What the new US dietary guidelines get right – and wrong – according to 2 nutrition experts
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland Last week, United States health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr released the government’s revamped dietary guidelines for 2025 to 2030. These recommendations on healthy eating are updated every five years and help shape food policy

No power, no phone, no radio: why comms dropped out during the central Victorian fires
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiannuala Morgan, Lecturer in communications, The University of Melbourne Australia has entered an era of climate instability, where communications during bushfires and extreme weather must perform under increasingly severe conditions. Digital services such as the VicEmergency app and mobile fire alerts have become central to how people

Trump wants to cap credit card interest to 10% for a year. Should Australia consider it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ama Samarasinghe, Lecturer, Financial Planning and Tax, RMIT University US President Donald Trump has called for a one year cap on credit card interest rate charges at 10% – around half of the average current US rate – starting from January 20. Vanderbilt University analysis from September

This TikTok star sharing Australian animal stories doesn’t exist – it’s AI Blakface
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tamika Worrell, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Critical Indigenous Studies, Macquarie University Bush Legend/The Conversation The self-described “Bush Legend” on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram is growing in popularity. These short and sharp videos feature an Aboriginal man – sometimes painted up in ochre, other times in

How street vendors and waste pickers can help cities manage growth
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gisèle Yasmeen, JW McConnell Professor of Practice, Max Bell School of Public Policy, McGill University The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact recently renewed global commitments to sustainable and equitable urban food systems. The pact has been signed by 330 cities around the world that have pledged to

Alleged tobacco kingpin Kazem ‘Kaz’ Hamad has been arrested in Iraq – what happens next?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Martin, Associate Professor in Criminology, Deakin University Overnight, government authorities in Iraq arrested Kazem “Kaz” Hamad, the alleged kingpin of Australia’s illicit tobacco trade. Declared by an Iraqi court to be “one of the most dangerous wanted men in the world”, Hamad is the alleged mastermind

Why the world’s central bankers had to speak up against Trump’s attacks on the Fed
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Head, Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra Central bankers from around the world have issued a joint statement of support for US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, as he faces a criminal probe on top of mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump to

With its new laws, the government is tackling hate speech quickly, but not properly
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keiran Hardy, Associate Professor, Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University On Tuesday, in response to the Bondi terrorist attack and mounting pressure to take strong action, the Albanese government released draft legislation to counter hate crime and strengthen firearm controls. The draft bill is 144 pages long. It

Why Iran can’t afford to shut down the internet forever – even if the world doesn’t act
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dara Conduit, ARC DECRA Fellow, The University of Melbourne As citizens around the world prepared to welcome the new year, Iranians began taking to the streets to protest their country’s deepening economic crisis. Spurred by the continued devaluation of the Iranian currency against the US dollar, as

Australia is betting on a new ‘strategic reserve’ to loosen China’s grip on critical minerals

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan M Park, Professor of Global Governance, University of Sydney

MirageC/Getty

The federal government has unveiled new details of its plan to create a A$1.2 billion critical mineral reserve.

Three minerals will initially be the focus: antimony, gallium and rare earths (a group of 17 different elements).

The details came as Treasurer Jim Chalmers travelled to Washington this week to promote the new reserve to key allies. At a meeting with finance ministers from the “G7 plus” group of countries, hosted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Chalmers said the move was:

all about helping us and our partners shore up access to critical minerals during periods of market disruption.

The announcement puts meat on the bones of an idea first outlined by Labor in the lead-up to the last federal election.

Australia has untapped reserves of all three minerals in question. However, China currently dominates their processing. It accounts for 48% of global antimony production, 98% of gallium and 69% of rare earths.

So, why have these particular minerals been deemed so internationally important? And can Australia, as the government hopes, successfully establish itself as its allies’ “most reliable” critical minerals partner?

What are critical minerals?

Critical minerals are metals and minerals we rely upon for modern technologies that currently have no real alternative.

They’re essential for a range of applications, including:

  • solar and wind power
  • lithium-ion batteries
  • defence technologies (such as radar, fighter jets, submarines, and unmanned aerial vehicles)
  • communications
  • computing
  • medicine
  • other high-tech industries.

Many of the minerals Australia has in abundance still have a high supply risk, because we depend on importing the finished product.

For example, Australia exports most of its critical minerals to China for processing before they are on-sold to become parts of goods such as solar panels.

Critical mineral markets are also vulnerable to supply disruptions, such as global pandemics or trade disputes.

Why choose these three?

All three of the minerals nominated for Australia’s strategic reserve can be used to produce “dual-use” technologies for both civilian and military purposes.

Antimony can be used in flame retardants, lead-acid batteries, night vision goggles and ammunition. Gallium has applications in integrated circuits, optical devices, semiconductors, radar systems and solar panels.

And rare earths are needed for permanent magnets (used in fighter jets), metal alloys, medical imaging and lasers.

How it will work

With the strategic reserve, Australia will use its export finance credit agency to enable buyers to make “offtake agreements”. This is where buyers – which in this case will include the government itself – agree to buy the minerals as security, in some cases before the mining has begun. Buyers can then sell the minerals to Australia’s international allies and partners.

Currently, the West is not as competitive in establishing off-take agreements for critical minerals.

Chinese investors are more willing to provide equity and long term off-take agreements early in mining projects. China also has cost and technical knowledge advantages over Western companies.

Pitching to the G7

Australia’s decision to announce details of the reserve before this week’s G7 plus meeting was no accident. The G7 comprises the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Ministers from India, Mexico and South Korea were also invited.

Short for “Group of Seven”, the G7 began as an informal meeting of the world’s largest economies (though all except the US have been overtaken by China). It has enabled financial decisions to be made quickly, without being hampered by a formal agreement or treaty.

Australia is not part of the G7, but often aligns on positions taken by the group.

Critical minerals mining and processing requires significant investment from both public and private sources using a range of financial tools, including export credits and development finance. Export credits, often provided by national agencies, include providing credit, loans, or guarantees to aid companies selling goods overseas.

That’s important, because entering these markets is risky. For example, lithium mining in Australia boomed as a result of the high demand for elective vehicles (EVs) using lithium-ion batteries. But the market went bust when EV sales slowed, leading some mines to stop or scale back production.

Countering China’s dominance won’t be easy

With the announcement, Australia has signalled it’s willing to intervene in critical mineral markets to further the needs of its allies and like-minded states.

Perhaps above all, Australia is seeking to reassure the US it’s a reliable partner for providing critical minerals. The US is urgently seeking critical minerals, even threatening to acquire Greenland for its minerals and strategic position in the Arctic circle.

Australia’s strategic reserve is what might be called a “geoeconomic” decision. This is where economic decisions are made based on accessing resources that benefit Australia and its partners and diversifying away from being dependent on China.

Many members of the G7 are part of the Minerals Security Partnership, which aims to secure a sustainable supply chain of critical minerals from diverse sources by working with industry and other governments.

It also contributes to the five-point plan agreed upon by the G7 in 2023 for critical minerals security.

The new strategic reserve may provide the West with greater access to minerals. But China still dominates the processing of many of them with advanced knowledge, skills and technology.

The Conversation

Susan M Park receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

– ref. Australia is betting on a new ‘strategic reserve’ to loosen China’s grip on critical minerals – https://theconversation.com/australia-is-betting-on-a-new-strategic-reserve-to-loosen-chinas-grip-on-critical-minerals-273337

Inquisitive kea rescued after becoming trapped in water tank

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The kea after its rescue. DOC / Andrew Bridgman

A kea has been rescued after becoming trapped in a water tank in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

The Department of Conservation said it was notified late last year about the kea by a climber staying at the Sefton Bivouac.

The climber had found the bird in the lidless bivvy water tank after hearing its calls echoing overnight.

The kea had managed to find its way inside the tank but couldn’t get back out.

The kea was unable to get itself out of the tank. DOC / Andrew Bridgman

DOC said two members of its mountain rescue team made the trek up to the Sefton Bivouac hut and found the adult kea perched in the tank, “seemingly unimpressed by its situation”.

A team member leaned in and safely pulled the bird to freedom.

“Once released, the kea wasted no time tucking into nearby alpine plants before taking off as if nothing unusual had happened,” DOC said.

The kea was safely returned to the wild. DOC / Andrew Bridgman

SAR supervisor Andrew Bridgman said it was the team’s first kea rescue with the best outcome – “a healthy kea returned to the wild”.

DOC thanked the climber for raising the alarm, but said situations that kea find themselves in don’t always have the best outcome.

“Kea are natural explorers, but their curiosity can land them in tricky spots. The tank lid may have been removed by climbers accessing water when the pipes froze. It’s crucial that these lids are kept on, as kea have unfortunately died in water tanks in the past.

“Visitors can help by keeping an eye out for kea around huts, securing water tank lids and gear, and never feeding kea – helping to keep these charismatic mountain birds safe.”

A DOC team member reaching into the tank to rescue the kea. DOC / Andrew Bridgman

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

The Making of an Autocrat: podcast out now

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Bergman, International Affairs Editor, The Conversation

We used to have a pretty clear idea of what an autocrat was. History is full of examples: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, along with Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Viktor Orban today. The list goes on.

So, where does US President Donald Trump fit in?

In our new podcast, The Making of an Autocrat, we asked six experts on authoritarianism and US politics to explain exactly how an autocrat is made – and whether Trump is on his way to becoming one.

This is the step-by-step guide Trump is following, tried and tested the world over by the strongmen Trump seeks to emulate.

Step 1: hijack a party

Like strongmen around the world, Trump’s first step was to take control of the Republican Party, explains Erica Frantz, associate professor of political science at Michigan State University.

Once a would-be autocrat dominates a party like this, they have a legitimate vehicle to begin dismantling a democracy. As Frantz explains:

Our research has shown this is a major red flag for democracy. It’s going to enable Trump to get rid of executive constraints in a variety of domains, which he has, and pursue his strongman agenda.

Step 2: recruit an architect

Every autocrat needs a clan of loyalists, strategists, masterminds – these are the figures behind the scenes pulling the strings. They’re unelected and unaccountable, yet they wield a huge amount of power.

This is the role Stephen Miller has played for Trump, explains Emma Shortis, a Trump expert and an adjunct senior fellow at RMIT University in Melbourne.

I think what Stephen Miller demonstrates and, and history has demonstrated over and over again is that autocrats cannot rise to power by themselves. They often require a singular kind of charisma and a singular kind of historical moment, but they also need architects behind them who are able to facilitate their rise to power.

Step 3: manufacture a crisis

Trump has sounded the alarm that the United States is facing an “invasion” by dangerous gang members. He blames immigrants for the country’s economic problems and claims protesters are destroying US cities.

He is not the first would-be autocrat to manufacture a crisis to seize extraordinary powers. As Natasha Lindstaedt, an expert in authoritarian regimes at the University of Essex, explains, a strongman “loves a crisis”.

A crisis is the way that they mobilise their base, the way that they can depict themselves as the saviour, as this messianic type of figure that is going to save people from this chaotic world.

Step 4: beat the courts

In democratic systems, the courts are a vital check on a leader’s power. They have the ability to overturn laws and, in Trump’s case, the executive orders he has relied on to achieve his goals.

Since taking office, Trump has targeted the judiciary with a vengeance. As Paul Collins, a Supreme Court expert from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, explains:

It’s all about presidential power. And that’s really significant because it’s going to enable the president to basically inject a level of politics into the federal bureaucracy that we frankly haven’t really seen before in the US.

Step 5: suppress the people

The list of people Trump has punished or threatened since returning to office is long: James Comey, Letitia James, John Bolton, as well as members of the opposition, such as Adam Schiff, Mark Kelly and Kamala Harris.

He has gone so far as to call Democrats “the enemy from within”.

According to Lucan Way, a professor of democracy at the University of Toronto, when a leader attacks the opposition like this, it’s a clear sign a country is slipping into authoritarianism.

It really has this kind of broader silencing effect that I think is quite pernicious.

Step 6: co-opt the military

Since returning to office, Trump has successfully expanded his power over his own party, the courts and the American people. Now, like many autocrats around the world, he’s trying to exert control over the military.

Joe Wright, a political science professor at Penn State University, says:

I am very concerned that getting the military to do illegal things will not only put US soldiers at more risk when they do engage in international missions in the future […] it’s a first step to using the military to target domestic political opponents.

That’s what really worries me.

This series was written by Justin Bergman and produced and edited by Isabella Podwinski and Ashlynne McGhee. Sound design by Michelle Macklem.

Listen to The Making of an Autocrat on The Conversation Weekly feed via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feedor find out how else to listen here. Transcripts of these episodes are available via the Apple Podcasts or Spotify apps.

.

Erica Frantz is a research fellow at the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.

Emma Shortis is director of International and Security Affairs at The Australia Institute, an independent think tank.

Natasha Lindstaedt 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.

Paul Collins 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.

Lucan Way has received funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Joe Wright has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Minerva Research Initiative, and private foundations.

Digital Storytelling Team 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.

– ref. The Making of an Autocrat: podcast out now – https://theconversation.com/the-making-of-an-autocrat-podcast-out-now-273457

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