Source: Radio New Zealand

Drivers are being asked to avoid Central Otago’s Kawerau Gorge after a two-vehicle crash left a car in a bank.

Police said several people were injured in the crash on State Highway 6 between Gibbston and Cromwell, which happened around midday on Sunday.

The New Zealand Transport Agency said the road may need to be closed and asked people to avoid the area.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

• General Practice Owners Association moves to set up another PHO after big corporates do likewise
• GenPro says it’s responding to demand from members fed up with red tape and costs
• PHOs say GPs already get 100 percent of patient funding but they have a bigger mandate

Frustration among general practice owners with what they call “bloated bureaucracy” is behind a move to set up a breakaway nationwide primary health organisation (PHO).

The General Practice Owners Association (GenPro), which has made an application to Health NZ, said it would ensure more money for frontline patient care.

Its chair, Dr Angus Chambers, said the new entity would be a standalone organisation, enabling GenPro to continue to advocate for its members without any conflict of interest.

“GenPro is not and will not be a PHO. But we’d welcome a lean, cost-effective PHO for GenPro members that reduces the bureaucratic burden on the health system and facilitates greater funding for high-quality, sustainable, accessible, and equitable front-line patient care.”

PHOs are not-for-profit organisations, funded by Health NZ to oversee primary care, including general practices.

There are currently about 30 PHOs, made up of practices working together to care for the patients enrolled with them.

GenPro’s move comes in the same week that Green Cross became the second big corporate to receive approval from Health NZ to set up its own PHO.

Its 54 practices – which are currently distributed among multiple PHOs – will shift to a stand-alone entity, Community Care Ltd, from 1 July 2026.

Another corporate provider, Tend, started operating its own PHO in July after receiving approval in May.

Chambers said his members feared this would give the corporates a competitive advantage.

“There’s a lot of concern among our members that we’re heading towards a duopoly like the supermarkets in primary healthcare, and we want to see the settings changed to prevent that because it’s not good for consumers.”

A report by retired accountant Murray Lilley earlier this year highlighted the growth in “bureaucracy” within PHOs, and suggested they were siphoning off too much government funding before it reached frontline GPs.

The Lilley report was criticised for ignoring PHOs’ role in population health, including programmes for mental health, diabetes, immunisation, sexual health, smoking cessation and community radiology.

Chambers said while he was not sure that all the conclusions drawn from the report were accurate, it did “mirror concerns” among some GPs regarding PHOs, especially around “transparency”.

“Many feel we’re struggling, some have borderline viability, and we see PHOs growing and that really concerns our members.”

Current policy settings and existing PHO structures had significant problems, he said.

“These include conflicts of interest between patient care and commercial operations, bloated governance and management costs, a focus on accumulating reserves instead of funding front-line services, regional variations creating a postcode lottery, and trust issues.

“The new PHO will aim to address these challenges head on.”

PHOs respond

General Practice NZ, which represents PHOs, said as registered charities, they were set up for transparency and obliged to publish audited accounts.

Its chair, Dr Bryan Betty, a Porirua GP, said PHOs were not simply responsible for passing on capitation funding (the funding for enrolled patients), but also for delivering wider population health activities.

“At the moment 100 percent of capitation gets passed through directly to practices and the majority of what we call ‘flexible funding’ [for mental health, diabetes and a range of other services] also gets passed through to general practices.

“But what remains in the PHO is for things like practice support: data and digital, supporting high needs practices that may be marginally sustainable, to ensuring things like interpretation services, transport for rural patients – a whole range of services that practices may not be able to provide on their own.”

There were some problems with the current funding mechanisms, he conceded.

“There is a need for more funding to be flexible to support patients across a region to access timely medical care, to access immunisation, screening, and other primary care services.

“Most individual practices can’t afford specialist diabetes nurses or podiatrist, for instance, they need to work across a group of practices.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Waikato Police are renewing appeals for information as concerns grow over the whereabouts of missing man Louis.

The 44-year-old has been missing since Thursday 13 November, and Police have been searching the area where he was last known to be.

Louis was last seen at around 10am, believed to be heading to the Tui Domain Track via the Hamilton Street entrance, at the base of Mount Te Aroha.

“Since then, there have been no sightings of Louis despite our efforts to locate him,” says Detective Inspector Matt Cranshaw.

“As time passes, we are getting more concerned for his wellbeing.”

Detective Inspector Cranshaw says Police have been searching around Te Aroha, with volunteers from Land Search and Rescue, and Canyon Search and Rescue in bush areas and streets nearby.

“We ask members of the Te Aroha community to review any CCTV or dashcam footage they may have from Thursday.”

Louis was last seen wearing a dark blue shirt, brown pants, and old blue and white striped jandals.

“If you someone that may look like Louis, or someone wearing clothes like this description, please contact us.”

If you have information that could assist us in locating Louis, please contact us online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or by calling 105.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The tickets that won Lotto’s top prize on Saturday night, were sold at New World Kawerau, Pak N Save Moorhouse in Christchurch and online to an Auckland punter.

Three ticket-holders are taking home an $18.3 million share of the historic $55m jackpot, according to Lotto.

The must-be-won draw was the highest ever amount up for grabs on Lotto Powerball.

The winners also get a share of Lotto First Division taking their total prize to $18.5m each.

Meanwhile 15 people shared Lotto First Division, taking home $55,556 and 62 punters won $16,990.

The odds of winning last night’s Powerball First Division prize were one in 38-million.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The BBC’s top boss and its news chief had both resigned late on Remembrance Sunday in the UK – the day the victims of war are remembered.

Ironic perhaps for the BBC, because it wasn’t just that editing error in a year-old documentary about Donald Trump that created this crisis. An ongoing culture war that’s bigger than the BBC was part of the backdrop.

On Friday the BBC’s chair told the White House he and the Corporation were sorry for the error, “but strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim.”

The BBC has been accustomed to political pressure and criticism for over 100 years. But the US president taking credit for making it accountable for fake news was a headspinning development for former BBC TV journalist Lewis Goodall.

“A foreign head of government is saying he got them sacked or forced their resignation. And it is not just Donald Trump claiming credit for this. It is this curious, potentially quite sinister alliance between the President, Boris Johnson and the Daily Telegraph,” he said in his News Agents podcast.

But how did one editing error topple the BBC’s top boss and its news chief – a full year after it actually aired without any controversy at the time?

Bad edit, bad news

The fateful mistake was in an episode of Panorama, the BBC’s flagship news programme since 1953.

Trump – A Second Chance? sought to explain his appeal with supporters in the upcoming election. (Scepticism about the news media, incidentally, was one of the things those in the programme cited).

The Guardian gave it four stars out of five a year ago.

“It has ploughed its furrow well – taking time and care to unpick how we got here and why,” said the reviewer, who evidently didn’t notice the lack of care taken unpicking bits of Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021.

Trump said: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”

In the Panorama episode he was shown saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol . . . and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”

Two chunks of the speech edited together were actually more than 50 minutes apart.

The edit was certainly deceptive – as was footage of Proud Boys marching in Washington before Trump spoke, though the programme indicated otherwise.

But the mistakes could have been easily fixed with superimposed timecodes, screen wipes or flashes to indicate time had passed.

A consultant on standards within the BBC – former TV journalist David Grossman – did notice and put it in a review of election coverage.

A former UK Sunday Times journalist later included it in a report to the BBC’s board members earlier this year, along with what he deemed other “serious and systemic” editorial failures the BBC had not confronted.

Last week, that was leaked to the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, a persistent critic of the BBC down the years, which called it ‘The devastating memo that plunged the BBC into crisis.’

“These concerns… were dismissed, ignored. But if members of its own editorial standards committee have no faith in the broadcaster, you have to ask, should we?” the Telegraph’s associate editor Gordon Rayner asked in an online video outlining the editing error.

Drama becomes a crisis

Bad news about the BBC has kept coming in the Daily Telegraph.

‘A third of the public believes BBC has left-wing bias,’ the paper said last Tuesday, reporting a snap poll after its BBC scoop last week.

But while 31 percent thought so, the [https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/53363-is-the-bbc-biased-what-the-public-think-following-the-davie-and-turness-resignations poll found some proportion didn’t know and 38 per cent didn’t think that was true.

When GB News hosts accused the BBC of ‘rewriting history’ with the Donald Trump edit, Roger Bolton – a former host of the TV show Right to Reply – told them it really wasn’t a material error.

“The overall programme was fair – but that editing was not fair and should not have been done. And it’s wrong of the BBC not to come out and explain the circumstances,” Bolton said in what GB News breathlessly billed as a Heated clash over Donald Trump’s targeting of BBC over impartiality SCANDAL‘

“But to use one small example to suggest that the whole organisation is biased is also wrong,” Bolton added.

Adam Boulton – a former political editor at Rupert Murdoch-owned Sky News UK – also reckoned there was a campaign against the BBC.

“What we’re seeing is media organisations such as the Telegraph – which frankly are vastly inferior to the BBC when it comes to partisanship and balance – managing to set an agenda and to stir up a political response,” he told the BBC News Channel.

Here, Newstalk ZB’s go-to guy for UK news Enda Brady – also a former Sky News reporter – said it was “a very big deal.”

“This was not something that was just done by accident,” he said.

Zb’s Drive host Heather du Plessis-Allan was also convinced.

“If you thought that the media was unfair on Trump, now you’ve been proven right. If you thought that the media was soft on Hamas, now you’ve been proven right. If you thought that there was all this stuff going on where the media had fixed views on trans issues, now you’ve been proven right,” she told ZB listeners.

“That whistleblower’s dossier that was leaked last week… for the most part will explain all of it to you,” she said.

But she didn’t explain why one advisor’s personal report was gospel on the BBC’s news.

Former Downing Street communications chief Alastair Campbell – a central figure in a political row that brought down BBC leaders in 2004 – didn’t think the Prescott report made the case of bias against Trump.

“It said that the ‘eating the dogs, eating the cats’ – thing was given disproportionate coverage. He’s the most talked about person on the planet and he said that! (The report) said the BBC gave disproportionate coverage to a single poll and should have done an equally aggressive (Panorama) documentary about Kamala Harris. It’s just nuts,” he said on the podcast The Rest is Politics.

Former BBC news presenter Emily Maitlis also pointed out rival media had their own reasons for bagging the BBC over mistakes.

“(The BBC) is the most-read, the most-enjoyed website in the world. It operates 24 hours a day from Australia and America and Asia – all over the place. That’s what the Mail, The Times and the Telegraph would like to have,” she said on her current podcast The News Agents.

“The way it has been reshaped is that you’re being cheated by the BBC… and the BBC is lying to you. If the papers carry on telling the British public they can’t trust the BBC, then people start believing it.”

But the BBC’s critics condemned the mistake as more than that.

After the resignation news broke on Monday morning, the first person on the line on the BBC’s own news channel was Kelvin McKenzie, formerly Rupert Murdoch’s top tabloid editor and then the boss of a rival radio company.

“When you start doing that to the President of the United States, what are you doing to somebody cleaning a window in Preston?” McKenzie asked.

“I don’t criticise the BBC over straightforward political coverage. But I do blame them when looking at some of the social issues facing our country – and then getting on the wrong side of almost every argument,” another of the BBC’s loudest critics and former rivals, David Elstein, said on the same channel soon after.

The notion that news coverage should be based on public opinion was rebutted by former Conservative party politician and chair of the BBC Trust Lord Chris Patten.

“I don’t think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it,” he told BBC radio.

Later David Elstein told BBC radio host Stephen Nolan the BBC had run scared on transgender identity. Nolan himself made a 10-part series on the topic for the BBC last year, which included critics of the influence of the Stonewall organisation within the BBC.

Trans rights and Gaza coverage were also in the report on editorial failings by the BBC advisor Michael Prescott which kicked off this crisis once it leaked to the media.

But last Monday departing BBC news chief executive Deborah Turness said forcefully: “BBC News is not institutionally biased. That’s why it’s the world’s most trusted news provider.”

Enemies within?

Some critics have claimed the impartiality problem is not in BBC journalism, but the oversight of it – and the Corporation’s governance.

The 13-strong BBC board includes several business leaders and lawyers, but only three members with any substantial record in journalism.

The key committee looking after editorial standards includes Sir Robbie Gibb, a former journalist who served as PR man for Conservative Party PM Theresa May before Boris Johnson appointed him to the BBC board.

“He does not pretend to be impartial on issues related to British politics or Israel so the BBC is stuck with him as a supposedly objective arbiter on such matters,” former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger wrote.

Michael Prescott – the author of the now notorious dossier – was a PR executive for a company with links to the Conservative Party for nine years before he was appointed as an advisor to the BBC’s editorial standards committee.

This week Emily Maitlis claimed six former BBC colleagues had told her they believed a kind of internal coup to influence BBC news had taken place.

What happens next?

The man in charge of the news division now is Jonathan Munro, criticised in Michael Prescott’s report for not responding adequately to concern about the Trump documentary edit and BBC’s Gaza/Israel coverage.

When the Israel/Gaza war was just weeks old, the ruling Conservative Party was already criticising the BBC’s coverage. Home secretary Suella Braverman and former prime minister Liz Truss both urged Britons to switch to GB News.

“The criticism of the BBC from politicians is as old as the BBC itself. Just because they’re habitual critics doesn’t mean they’re wrong, but we’ve got a well developed set of editorial guidelines which have stood the test of time over many, many difficult stories,” Munro told Mediawatch at the time.

Munro told Mediawatch he had faith in the BBC’s existing standards withstanding political pressure. He’ll need that faith now.

Roger Bolton is no BBC apologist. For 23 years he hosted the radio show Feedback, based on listeners’ complaints about the BBC. He also presented a similar TV show – Right to Reply – on Channel Four.

After the BBC dropped him in 2023, he launched the independent podcast Beebwatch, for “people who care about, or are frustrated by, the BBC.”

In the middle of heavy traffic

“What this demonstrates is a breakdown in the governance of the BBC – not disastrously so, but very bad for its reputation. And it’s encouraged by President Trump trying to rewrite history and pursue the BBC for a ludicrous amount of money,” Roger Bolton told Mediawatch.

“There was a week before the BBC said anything. As it happened, most of the concerns that had been raised in that dossier had been addressed and action taken. But you wouldn’t know that because the BBC didn’t say anything.

“The reason it didn’t say anything was that it was split at the top. I think there’s some substance to the allegation a number of right-wing members of that editorial standards committee have real doubts about BBC’s impartiality and welcome this opportunity to create trouble.

“The chair of the BBC, who should stand above all this and should act in the public interest, was part of that committee which decided to ignore the problem – and then remain silent about it.

“We know Trump sues people – or says he’s going to sue them – and he quotes ridiculous amounts of money. In the US, large media companies – for whom news is only a small part – are happy to settle even though they could win their case because they’ve got big deals that will require Trump’s or the Senate’s approval.

“He may decide to take it out on the BBC and refuse them access to his press conferences. He could go further and take measures to stop the BBC operating in the US.

“But he’ll only be there for another three years. The BBC has got to safeguard its reputation. If it gives in to him, what would the rest of the world think?

“Tim Davie’s major problem was that he had no real experience of journalism. He didn’t appoint a deputy who was a hardened old hack who knew what went on in cutting rooms and sniffed the danger.

“These problems indicate that the BBC which has slimmed down a lot and had to cut back. Standards are not as high as they were or aren’t being enforced as well.

“I made mistakes. You acknowledge them and you tell the public and you explain it. You don’t go too defensive. But in this country, people are so polarised they see a balanced sort of programme as one prejudiced against them.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Governor-General has travelled to Antarctica’s Scott Base to see the work happening on the ice.

During the visit, Dame Cindy Kiro and husband Dr Richard Davies also visited Scott’s Hut and Shackleton’s Hut, and saw the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s preservation work.

Antarctica New Zealand chief executive Jordy Hendrikx said it was an honour to host the pair, who arrived on Friday.

“The main purpose of the visit is for them to come and see what we do here in Antarctica, and understand the variety of tasks that we have from science to environmental protection, to heritage, and also the operations of the base, and how we maintain the operations and run all those services from a small footprint here in Antarctica,” he said.

Dame Cindy was the first Governor-General to visit Antarctica since 2003.

One of the most notable projects was the redevelopment of Scott Base.

“A number of these facilities are getting to end of life, and we’re in the process of building a new and fit-for-purpose facility for the next generation of scientists, and to ensure our continued presence here in Antarctica on behalf of New Zealand,” Hendrikx said.

The redevelopment plan was revised last year, after the budget blew out to $498 million from $250m.

Hendrikx said the team was working on a detailed business case to be taken to Cabinet in mid-2026. It proposed a three-stage redevelopment of Scott Base over the next 20-50 years, starting with the oldest and most dilapidated facilities.

“This year, in terms of physical work, we have a number of enabling works underway,” he said. “We have some civil works underway, so that’s preparing the platform for next year, placing of the piles and then moving forward into the main construction in subsequent years.”

Several science projects were also happening on the base.

“This is our peak science period, where the majority of our scientists are coming through the base, and heading out into the field to collect samples, set out instruments or pick up instruments, and download years or months of data collection in Antarctica,” Hendrikx said.

“We have a team looking at the health of the Ross Sea ecosystem. They’re doing that by understanding the behaviour and patterns of foraging of both the emperor penguins and weddell seals.

“The idea here is, if we can better understand the behaviours of these large mesopredators, we get a proxy for the overall health and vitality of the Ross Sea ecosystem, and how that might be responding to climate change.”

Other projects included looking at how sea ice was changing in response to climate change, he said.

“It’s a very busy base, and a real buzzing atmosphere of excitement, enthusiasm and new discovery happening at the moment.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Tariffs have been removed from more than $2 billion worth of New Zealand’s exports to the United States, Trade Minister Todd McClay says.

US president Donald Trump on Friday (US time) signed an executive order cancelling tariffs on a wide range of food imports, including New Zealand beef and kiwifruit.

The new exemptions marked a sharp reversal, as Trump had long insisted his import duties were not fueling inflation for Americans.

But McClay said climbing prices and declining supply may have prompted the president to change tack.

“If you’re not getting as much beef coming in because of the tariff rate, there are shortages and prices will go up.”

The US buys New Zealand beef because it is high quality and the country does not produce enough of its own, said McClay.

The minister expected beef exports would return to the volume from before the tariffs were introduced.

He said about a quarter of New Zealand’s trade to the US had tariffs removed, but he wanted more products stripped of the taxes.

“I and the prime minister have consistently made the case that we don’t think it’s justified, that our trade is complementary and well-balanced.

“But in the case of the change, particularly for kiwifruit worth about $250 million a year and meat or beef exports about $2b a year for New Zealand, this is welcome news and we would hope there could be more over time.”

Meat Industry Association chief executive Nathan Guy said it was surprising but exciting news for farmers and processors.

“We’ve always thought these tariffs could indeed be inflationary for US consumers,” he said.

“This is a very important market for us, indeed it is our number one, despite the 15 percent tariffs, because the demand has been so strong in the US.”

Guy said it seemed beef would revert back to a 1 percent tariff which was “business as usual” – but lamb was still subject to 15 percent.

“We’ll keep raising that issue, we’ll work with the New Zealand Government and indeed ministers and officials and even the prime minister.”

He was pleased to see prime minister Christopher Luxon recently met with Donald Trump, and believed New Zealand’s relationship with the US was “in good heart”.

“This is a positive step forward.”

The change would restore a level playing field with key competitors like Australia, which had avoided the extra tariffs, Guy said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Search crews are resuming the search for a man believed to be missing in the sea in Northland.

The man was one of two people on a boat that was reported overdue on Friday night.

The 17-foot (5-metre) runabout was taken out for fishing off the coast near Whangārei and meant to return at 7pm on Friday. The alarm was raised at 9pm.

On Saturday morning the boat was found drifting with no-one aboard, and shortly after a body of one of the two fishermen was found.

On Sunday morning, the search resumed for the missing man, supported by the Police National Dive Squad, Search and Rescue crews, Auckland Coastguard Air Patrol, Auckland Police Maritime Unit, Customs, Surf Rescue and Northland Land Search and Rescue.

Police said they would like to thank members of the community who are also assisting with the search.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

One person has died following a hit and run in West Auckland’s Henderson overnight.

Police said emergency services were called to the intersection of Tango Place and Larnoch Rd at 2.50am after a person was located injured on the road.

“Sadly, despite best efforts from emergency services, the person died at the scene,” a spokesperson said.

Police were now working to establish the circumstances of what has occurred, and cordons have been put in place while police conduct a scene examination.

Residents and members of the public may see an increased police presence in the area while inquiries into the incident were ongoing.

“Police would like to hear from anyone who may have information of this incident and has not yet spoken to us.

“We would also like to get in touch with anyone who has CCTV or dashcam footage in the Larnoch Road area between 2am and 3am.”

The spokesperson asked anyone with information that could assist the police investigation to contact police online at 105.police.govt.nz, or by calling 105.

Information could also be reported anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A helicopter pilot is being rushed to hospital after crashing near a wind farm on Wellington’s west coast.

Emergency services were called to the Mākara Wind Farm about 8.30am on Sunday.

Fire and Emergency shift manager Murray Dunbar said there was only one person on board the helicopter, and they were being flown to Wellington Hospital for treatment.

Five FENZ crews responded to the accident in addition to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

MORE TO COME…

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The BBC’s top boss and its news chief had both resigned late on Remembrance Sunday in the UK – the day the victims of war are remembered.

Ironic perhaps for the BBC, because it wasn’t just that editing error in a year-old documentary about Donald Trump that created this crisis. An ongoing culture war that’s bigger than the BBC was part of the backdrop.

On Friday the BBC’s chair told the White House he and the Corporation were sorry for the error, “but strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim.”

The BBC has been accustomed to political pressure and criticism for over 100 years. But the US president taking credit for making it accountable for fake news was a headspinning development for former BBC TV journalist Lewis Goodall.

“A foreign head of government is saying he got them sacked or forced their resignation. And it is not just Donald Trump claiming credit for this. It is this curious, potentially quite sinister alliance between the President, Boris Johnson and the Daily Telegraph,” he said in his News Agents podcast.

But how did one editing error topple the BBC’s top boss and its news chief – a full year after it actually aired without any controversy at the time?

Bad edit, bad news

The fateful mistake was in an episode of Panorama, the BBC’s flagship news programme since 1953.

Trump – A Second Chance? sought to explain his appeal with supporters in the upcoming election. (Scepticism about the news media, incidentally, was one of the things those in the programme cited).

The Guardian gave it four stars out of five a year ago.

“It has ploughed its furrow well – taking time and care to unpick how we got here and why,” said the reviewer, who evidently didn’t notice the lack of care taken unpicking bits of Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021.

Trump said: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”

In the Panorama episode he was shown saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol . . . and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”

Two chunks of the speech edited together were actually more than 50 minutes apart.

The edit was certainly deceptive – as was footage of Proud Boys marching in Washington before Trump spoke, though the programme indicated otherwise.

But the mistakes could have been easily fixed with superimposed timecodes, screen wipes or flashes to indicate time had passed.

A consultant on standards within the BBC – former TV journalist David Grossman – did notice and put it in a review of election coverage.

A former UK Sunday Times journalist later included it in a report to the BBC’s board members earlier this year, along with what he deemed other “serious and systemic” editorial failures the BBC had not confronted.

Last week, that was leaked to the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, a persistent critic of the BBC down the years, which called it ‘The devastating memo that plunged the BBC into crisis.’

“These concerns… were dismissed, ignored. But if members of its own editorial standards committee have no faith in the broadcaster, you have to ask, should we?” the Telegraph’s associate editor Gordon Rayner asked in an online video outlining the editing error.

Drama becomes a crisis

Bad news about the BBC has kept coming in the Daily Telegraph.

‘A third of the public believes BBC has left-wing bias,’ the paper said last Tuesday, reporting a snap poll after its BBC scoop last week.

But while 31 percent thought so, the [https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/53363-is-the-bbc-biased-what-the-public-think-following-the-davie-and-turness-resignations poll found some proportion didn’t know and 38 per cent didn’t think that was true.

When GB News hosts accused the BBC of ‘rewriting history’ with the Donald Trump edit, Roger Bolton – a former host of the TV show Right to Reply – told them it really wasn’t a material error.

“The overall programme was fair – but that editing was not fair and should not have been done. And it’s wrong of the BBC not to come out and explain the circumstances,” Bolton said in what GB News breathlessly billed as a Heated clash over Donald Trump’s targeting of BBC over impartiality SCANDAL‘

“But to use one small example to suggest that the whole organisation is biased is also wrong,” Bolton added.

Adam Boulton – a former political editor at Rupert Murdoch-owned Sky News UK – also reckoned there was a campaign against the BBC.

“What we’re seeing is media organisations such as the Telegraph – which frankly are vastly inferior to the BBC when it comes to partisanship and balance – managing to set an agenda and to stir up a political response,” he told the BBC News Channel.

Here, Newstalk ZB’s go-to guy for UK news Enda Brady – also a former Sky News reporter – said it was “a very big deal.”

“This was not something that was just done by accident,” he said.

Zb’s Drive host Heather du Plessis-Allan was also convinced.

“If you thought that the media was unfair on Trump, now you’ve been proven right. If you thought that the media was soft on Hamas, now you’ve been proven right. If you thought that there was all this stuff going on where the media had fixed views on trans issues, now you’ve been proven right,” she told ZB listeners.

“That whistleblower’s dossier that was leaked last week… for the most part will explain all of it to you,” she said.

But she didn’t explain why one advisor’s personal report was gospel on the BBC’s news.

Former Downing Street communications chief Alastair Campbell – a central figure in a political row that brought down BBC leaders in 2004 – didn’t think the Prescott report made the case of bias against Trump.

“It said that the ‘eating the dogs, eating the cats’ – thing was given disproportionate coverage. He’s the most talked about person on the planet and he said that! (The report) said the BBC gave disproportionate coverage to a single poll and should have done an equally aggressive (Panorama) documentary about Kamala Harris. It’s just nuts,” he said on the podcast The Rest is Politics.

Former BBC news presenter Emily Maitlis also pointed out rival media had their own reasons for bagging the BBC over mistakes.

“(The BBC) is the most-read, the most-enjoyed website in the world. It operates 24 hours a day from Australia and America and Asia – all over the place. That’s what the Mail, The Times and the Telegraph would like to have,” she said on her current podcast The News Agents.

“The way it has been reshaped is that you’re being cheated by the BBC… and the BBC is lying to you. If the papers carry on telling the British public they can’t trust the BBC, then people start believing it.”

But the BBC’s critics condemned the mistake as more than that.

After the resignation news broke on Monday morning, the first person on the line on the BBC’s own news channel was Kelvin McKenzie, formerly Rupert Murdoch’s top tabloid editor and then the boss of a rival radio company.

“When you start doing that to the President of the United States, what are you doing to somebody cleaning a window in Preston?” McKenzie asked.

“I don’t criticise the BBC over straightforward political coverage. But I do blame them when looking at some of the social issues facing our country – and then getting on the wrong side of almost every argument,” another of the BBC’s loudest critics and former rivals, David Elstein, said on the same channel soon after.

The notion that news coverage should be based on public opinion was rebutted by former Conservative party politician and chair of the BBC Trust Lord Chris Patten.

“I don’t think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it,” he told BBC radio.

Later David Elstein told BBC radio host Stephen Nolan the BBC had run scared on transgender identity. Nolan himself made a 10-part series on the topic for the BBC last year, which included critics of the influence of the Stonewall organisation within the BBC.

Trans rights and Gaza coverage were also in the report on editorial failings by the BBC advisor Michael Prescott which kicked off this crisis once it leaked to the media.

But last Monday departing BBC news chief executive Deborah Turness said forcefully: “BBC News is not institutionally biased. That’s why it’s the world’s most trusted news provider.”

Enemies within?

Some critics have claimed the impartiality problem is not in BBC journalism, but the oversight of it – and the Corporation’s governance.

The 13-strong BBC board includes several business leaders and lawyers, but only three members with any substantial record in journalism.

The key committee looking after editorial standards includes Sir Robbie Gibb, a former journalist who served as PR man for Conservative Party PM Theresa May before Boris Johnson appointed him to the BBC board.

“He does not pretend to be impartial on issues related to British politics or Israel so the BBC is stuck with him as a supposedly objective arbiter on such matters,” former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger wrote.

Michael Prescott – the author of the now notorious dossier – was a PR executive for a company with links to the Conservative Party for nine years before he was appointed as an advisor to the BBC’s editorial standards committee.

This week Emily Maitlis claimed six former BBC colleagues had told her they believed a kind of internal coup to influence BBC news had taken place.

What happens next?

The man in charge of the news division now is Jonathan Munro, criticised in Michael Prescott’s report for not responding adequately to concern about the Trump documentary edit and BBC’s Gaza/Israel coverage.

When the Israel/Gaza war was just weeks old, the ruling Conservative Party was already criticising the BBC’s coverage. Home secretary Suella Braverman and former prime minister Liz Truss both urged Britons to switch to GB News.

“The criticism of the BBC from politicians is as old as the BBC itself. Just because they’re habitual critics doesn’t mean they’re wrong, but we’ve got a well developed set of editorial guidelines which have stood the test of time over many, many difficult stories,” Munro told Mediawatch at the time.

Munro told Mediawatch he had faith in the BBC’s existing standards withstanding political pressure. He’ll need that faith now.

Roger Bolton is no BBC apologist. For 23 years he hosted the radio show Feedback, based on listeners’ complaints about the BBC. He also presented a similar TV show – Right to Reply – on Channel Four.

After the BBC dropped him in 2023, he launched the independent podcast Beebwatch, for “people who care about, or are frustrated by, the BBC.”

In the middle of heavy traffic

“What this demonstrates is a breakdown in the governance of the BBC – not disastrously so, but very bad for its reputation. And it’s encouraged by President Trump trying to rewrite history and pursue the BBC for a ludicrous amount of money,” Roger Bolton told Mediawatch.

“There was a week before the BBC said anything. As it happened, most of the concerns that had been raised in that dossier had been addressed and action taken. But you wouldn’t know that because the BBC didn’t say anything.

“The reason it didn’t say anything was that it was split at the top. I think there’s some substance to the allegation a number of right-wing members of that editorial standards committee have real doubts about BBC’s impartiality and welcome this opportunity to create trouble.

“The chair of the BBC, who should stand above all this and should act in the public interest, was part of that committee which decided to ignore the problem – and then remain silent about it.

“We know Trump sues people – or says he’s going to sue them – and he quotes ridiculous amounts of money. In the US, large media companies – for whom news is only a small part – are happy to settle even though they could win their case because they’ve got big deals that will require Trump’s or the Senate’s approval.

“He may decide to take it out on the BBC and refuse them access to his press conferences. He could go further and take measures to stop the BBC operating in the US.

“But he’ll only be there for another three years. The BBC has got to safeguard its reputation. If it gives in to him, what would the rest of the world think?

“Tim Davie’s major problem was that he had no real experience of journalism. He didn’t appoint a deputy who was a hardened old hack who knew what went on in cutting rooms and sniffed the danger.

“These problems indicate that the BBC which has slimmed down a lot and had to cut back. Standards are not as high as they were or aren’t being enforced as well.

“I made mistakes. You acknowledge them and you tell the public and you explain it. You don’t go too defensive. But in this country, people are so polarised they see a balanced sort of programme as one prejudiced against them.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Four people, including three children, have died in a house fire in Sanson, Manawatū’s mayor has confirmed.

Police earlier said several people died in the blaze on Saturday afternoon at a home on State Highway 1, just south of the town, but would not specify how many.

Do you know more? Email iwitness@rnz.co.nz

It was understood police were searching for three children after the fire, and were not seeking anyone in relation to the blaze.

Mayor Michael Ford said it was a devastating tragedy, and the community was reeling.

“It’s a small village, but it’s an important part of the Manawatū community and [it’s] a caring community and no doubt will provide good support and this very sad time.”

A scene guard was in place overnight, and officers were back at the scene on Sunday, continuing their investigation.

SH1 was briefly closed between Phillips St and Speedy Rd on Saturday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police officers have returned to the scene of a fatal house fire in Sanson, Manawatū.

RNZ understands a man and children were among those who died on Saturday afternoon when flames engulfed the home on State Highway 1 just south of the town.

The police said several people died – but would not specify how many.

It was understood they were searching for three children after the fire.

They said they were not seeking anyone in relation to the blaze.

A scene guard was in place overnight, and officers returned on Sunday to continue the investigation.

SH1 was briefly closed between Phillips St and Speedy Rd on Saturday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A new insights poll from the New Zealand Educational Institute surveyed 228 primary school principals nationwide regarding the changes and the resulting impact on their workload, health, and wellbeing.

Seventy-three percent of principals said they were likely to quit within the next five years due to the workload and wellbeing impacts changes.

Ninety-seven percent said the timeline for implementing the new curriculum changes is unrealistic.

While 99 percent said the frequent policy and curriculum shifts have left insufficient time to consolidate previous changes.

The government released the full draft for years 0-10 students in October and would be rolled out over three stages, with years 0-10 English and Mathematics required to begin from the start of 2026, for all state and state-integrated schools.

Martyn Weatherill, Principal Representative for NZEI Te Riu Roa, said the poll highlighted the alarming effects constant change is having on principals’ workload, stress levels, and overall wellbeing.

“Government-mandated changes to the curriculum were turned around at breakneck speed earlier this year. Principals expressed their frustration at the pace and lack of consultation then.

“Now we’re heading into curriculum change Groundhog Day; another rush to implement a new, NEW (as we’re calling it) curriculum, directed by a government that has failed any reasonable test of consultation with us.

“Our primary challenge is that we weren’t provided with the time, training, or resources to absorb the speed and complexity of the imposed changes.

“All of this takes a massive toll on our workload, stress levels, and wellbeing. We are not being listened to when we say it’s too much. Our professional expertise is being ignored and we are feeling disrespected,”

Ninety percent described the professional learning and resources provided by the Ministry of Education to support implementation as insufficient.

Ninety-six percent confirm the cumulative effect of curriculum changes and increased workload has adversely impacted their health and wellbeing.

Weatherill said this could in turn, impact children.

“This is, we believe, harming students. Ninety-nine percent of principals are saying the frequent and policy changes leave insufficient time to do the job properly.

“This is not a company producing widgets, we are teaching children, they are the future of our country and they are being, bottom line, experimented on.” he said.

Kerry Hawkins, Principal of Waverley Park School in Invercargill, said he’s seeing a pace of change unprecedented in his 40 years as a school leader.

“This is the most absurdly paced policy change I’ve seen. My initial reaction was gnashing of teeth and frustration at the lack of consultation and respect shown to the profession.

“The mathematics programme we use is DMIC (Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities). It is culturally appropriate, well-grounded in research, and proven to be effective. Why would we replace it?

“I’m starting to feel that curriculum changes under this government are like New York taxis: Wait a moment, and you’ll get another one.” he said.

Education Minister Erica Stanford said she understands the scale of the reform programme is significant.

“We are absolutely committed to supporting principals and teachers through it because this work is about giving every child the strong, world-class education they deserve.

“That is why we have deliberately phased the curriculum changes through to 2028, giving four full years for implementation. We are backing schools with ongoing professional learning, clear guidance, and high-quality resources, and we are currently consulting on the new draft learning areas so schools can help shape the final design.

“We are already seeing promising results from the focus on strong foundations. When the phonics check was introduced in Term 1, 36 percent of new entrants were at or above expectations after 20 weeks at school. By Term 3, that had risen to 58 percent.

“Parents can be confident these reforms are about raising achievement and delivering better outcomes for young people. And we will continue working closely with the sector, welcoming feedback to ensure these changes are implemented in a way that is supportive, manageable, and sustainable for principals and their teams,” she said.

Majority of Secondary Principals also opposed to changes

Meanwhile, a survey of Secondary Principals Association members indicated most opposed the government’s recent changes though they supported some of the underlying direction.

It found 43 percent of the 102 respondents supported the new curriculum and 57 percent did not.

Most, 75 percent, disagreed the curriculum was world-leading, but agreed with its main objective and focus on excellent and equitable outcomes reflecting the Treaty of Waitangi.

Eighty-four percent agreed with the strengthened focus on literacy and numeracy

More than 80 percent disagreed with the process for developing the curriculum and the timeline for introducing it.

A similar percentage disagreed with the government’s changes to governance of the Teaching Council and 76 percent disagreed with the removal of school’s treaty obligations.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Primary school principals are at breaking point, as they face heavy workloads and burnout from the government’s curriculum changes.

A new insights poll from the New Zealand Educational Institute surveyed 228 primary school principals nationwide regarding the changes and the resulting impact on their workload, health, and wellbeing.

Seventy-three percent of principals said they are likely to quit within the next five years due to the workload and wellbeing impacts changes.

Ninety-seven percent of primary principals said the timeline for implementing the new curriculum changes is unrealistic.

While 99 percent said the frequent policy and curriculum shifts have left insufficient time to consolidate previous changes.

The government released the full draft for years 0-10 students in October and would be rolled out over three stages, with years 0-10 English and Mathematics required to begin from the start of 2026, for all state and state-integrated schools.

Martyn Weatherill, Principal Representative for NZEI Te Riu Roa, said the poll highlighted the alarming effects constant change is having on principals’ workload, stress levels, and overall wellbeing.

“Government-mandated changes to the curriculum were turned around at breakneck speed earlier this year. Principals expressed their frustration at the pace and lack of consultation then.

“Now we’re heading into curriculum change Groundhog Day; another rush to implement a new, NEW (as we’re calling it) curriculum, directed by a government that has failed any reasonable test of consultation with us.

“Our primary challenge is that we weren’t provided with the time, training, or resources to absorb the speed and complexity of the imposed changes.

“All of this takes a massive toll on our workload, stress levels, and wellbeing. We are not being listened to when we say it’s too much. Our professional expertise is being ignored and we are feeling disrespected,”

Ninety percent described the professional learning and resources provided by the Ministry of Education to support implementation as insufficient.

Ninety-six percent confirm the cumulative effect of curriculum changes and increased workload has adversely impacted their health and wellbeing.

Weatherill said this could in turn, impact children.

“This is, we believe, harming students. Ninety-nine percent of principals are saying the frequent and policy changes leave insufficient time to do the job properly.

“This is not a company producing widgets, we are teaching children, they are the future of our country and they are being, bottom line, experimented on.” he said.

Kerry Hawkins, Principal of Waverley Park School in Invercargill, said he’s seeing a pace of change unprecedented in his 40 years as a school leader.

“This is the most absurdly paced policy change I’ve seen. My initial reaction was gnashing of teeth and frustration at the lack of consultation and respect shown to the profession.

“The mathematics programme we use is DMIC (Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities). It is culturally appropriate, well-grounded in research, and proven to be effective. Why would we replace it?

“I’m starting to feel that curriculum changes under this government are like New York taxis: Wait a moment, and you’ll get another one.” he said.

Education Minister Erica Stanford said she understands the scale of the reform programme is significant.

“We are absolutely committed to supporting principals and teachers through it because this work is about giving every child the strong, world-class education they deserve.

“That is why we have deliberately phased the curriculum changes through to 2028, giving four full years for implementation. We are backing schools with ongoing professional learning, clear guidance, and high-quality resources, and we are currently consulting on the new draft learning areas so schools can help shape the final design.

“We are already seeing promising results from the focus on strong foundations. When the phonics check was introduced in Term 1, 36 percent of new entrants were at or above expectations after 20 weeks at school. By Term 3, that had risen to 58 percent.

“Parents can be confident these reforms are about raising achievement and delivering better outcomes for young people. And we will continue working closely with the sector, welcoming feedback to ensure these changes are implemented in a way that is supportive, manageable, and sustainable for principals and their teams,” she said.

Majority of Secondary Principals also opposed to changes

Meanwhile, a survey of Secondary Principals Association members indicated most opposed the government’s recent changes though they supported some of the underlying direction.

It found 43 percent of the 102 respondents supported the new curriculum and 57 percent did not.

Most, 75 percent, disagreed the curriculum was world-leading, but agreed with its main objective and focus on excellent and equitable outcomes reflecting the Treaty of Waitangi.

Eighty-four percent agreed with the strengthened focus on literacy and numeracy

More than 80 percent disagreed with the process for developing the curriculum and the timeline for introducing it.

A similar percentage disagreed with the government’s changes to governance of the Teaching Council and 76 percent disagreed with the removal of school’s treaty obligations.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police officers have returned to the scene of a fatal house fire in Sanson, Manawatū.

RNZ understands a man and children were among those who died on Saturday afternoon when flames engulfed the home on State Highway 1 just south of the town.

The police said several people died – but would not specify how many.

It was understood they were searching for three children after the fire.

They said they were not seeking anyone in relation to the blaze.

A scene guard was in place overnight, and officers returned on Sunday to continue the investigation.

SH1 was briefly closed between Phillips St and Speedy Rd on Saturday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A recent pest control operation in Wainuiomata momentarily knocked the possum population down to zero – the lowest result recorded in the area for 20 years.

Greater Wellington Regional Council carries out aerial 1080 drops in the area every five years. This latest occurred on 15 August.

Director of delivery Jack Mace said its wax tag monitoring system detected zero possums – a new record, after the previous low of 0.1 percent recorded after a 1080 operation in 2005.

“It’s very rare that we achieve almost complete elimination like this in a 1080 operation,” he said. “It was well planned and executed by our pest animals team.”

But the results were expected to be short-lived.

“We know results like this never last forever – reinvasion is inevitable,” Mace said. “But what we can do is keep knocking possums and rats down to give the forest and birds a break.”

He explained 1080 was a safe and effective tool for managing pests, and there were no traces of it recorded in water samples taken from waterways in the area after the drop.

The process was aided by trail cameras, installed as part of the council’s new zero ungulate programme, which showed the operation had also reduced the numbers of stoats and feral cats.

The next step would be to cut down the number of larger pests like deer, goats and pigs.

Mace said while possums, feral cats and stoats were regularly controlled using 1080 and trapping, the council was concerned about increasing deer, goat and pig populations which had “cleared out” the forest ground cover and understory.

“The canopy is relatively healthy; however a forest ecosystem needs all levels – ground cover, understory and canopy – to thrive. The zero ungulate programme will see a significant increase in pest animal control and an extension of the ungulate-proof fence to prevent reinvasion,” he said.

“The aim of the project is to remove ungulates and keep them out.

The Wainuiomata Water Collection Area is home to northern rātā and rimu trees left untouched by historic logging. Mace called them “jewels in the crown of lower North Island forest”.

“This area is precious and it’s our role to protect it.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster does not know if he’s “free to comment” on a scathing report by the police watchdog, a spokesperson for him says.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority’s report found serious misconduct at the highest levels of police, including Coster, in relation to police’s response to allegations of sexual offending by former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

Coster was placed on leave from his role as chief executive of the Social Investment Agency, following the report released on Tuesday.

RNZ called and texted Coster on Wednesday and received a text with an email to contact for comment.

RNZ asked for comment on Coster’s actions, whether he would stay in his role at the SIA, and whether he had a message for the woman who raised the allegations.

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

A spokesperson then replied: “As has been publicly noted by ministers, this is now an employment conversation between the Public Service Commissioner and Andrew Coster. He will not be responding to media ahead of that process.”

RNZ approached Coster’s spokesperson again on Friday asking for comment on the IPCA’s reports and his actions as the former Police Commissioner.

“Unfortunately, Andrew is not in a position to comment on any of these issues while there is a process underway with the Public Service Commissioner,” the spokesperson replied.

Asked why, and whether Coster was intending on returning to work, the spokesperson replied: “It is not presently clear whether Andrew is free to comment, given his role as a public servant and the process in which he is engaged. He will not be commenting further while this is underway.”

Coster took on the role as Secretary for Social Investment in November 2024, after stepping down as Police Commissioner.

Public Service Minister Judith Collins earlier said it was agreed between Coster and the Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche that Coster would be on leave while Sir Brian undertook his own “investigation”.

She said the report showed a “massive” failure of leadership, and while it was now an employment matter, she said the report spoke for itself.

“If this was me being named in this report, I would be ashamed of myself. And I think that’s what I can say. I would be deeply ashamed.”

Collins said the findings that leadership attempted to influence the investigation into the woman’s complaint and persuade the IPCA that the matter could be resolved quickly were “very serious”.

“Let’s put it this way. If a minister tried to do that, I’m sure that the Prime Minister would have them out the door that way.”

Asked whether she thought it amounted to corruption, Collins said, “If it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, it’s not looking good, is it?”

While acknowledging the IPCA report did not say it was corruption, Collins said it was “an extraordinary set of events, and extraordinary facts, and it must never happen again”.

She expressed thanks for the people who did stand up and send the matter to the IPCA as a complaint.

A spokesperson for the Public Service Commissioner earlier said it would be inappropriate to comment on any employment matters.

Social investment minister Nicola Willis said she was “shocked and appalled” by the IPCA report’s findings.

“I have conveyed my views to Public Service Commissioner Brian Roche. The matter now sits with him as Mr Coster’s employer,” she said.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said Coster first briefed him on 6 November 2024 about McSkimming.

“The issues around Andrew Coster, we all now clearly see in that report that yes, without a doubt, he was the leader of the executive. He should be held to account for that, because of what we’re dealing with.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

[rnz_online]

Three Powerball players have split the record, must-win $55 million Lotto prize on Saturday night, claiming $18.3m each.

“What a fantastic result,” said Lotto NZ chief executive Jason Delamore. “It’s great to see the Powerball jackpot being shared among a number of players.

“A win like this doesn’t just change one life – it can transform families, friends and even entire communities.

“Our winners often give back in incredible ways, from helping loved ones to supporting charities. The impact of this win will reach far beyond the individual winners.”

Their prizes consist of $18,333,333 from Powerball first division and $55,556 from Lotto first division, totalling $18,388,889.

Saturday’s big winners should phone Lotto NZ’s Customer Support team on 0800 695 6886 to ensure they receive the support they’ll need throughout this life-changing experience.

Lotto NZ will reveal the locations of the winners on Sunday.

“Lotto NZ exists to make a difference for Kiwi communities – that’s what drives us every day,” said Delmore. “One-hunded percent of our profits go back into supporting communities and every ticket sold contributes towards that, so a huge thank you to everyone who played in tonight’s draw.

“You’re helping thousands of good causes make a difference across Aotearoa.”

The latest payout beats the previous biggest prize of $50m offered twice in 2020. In February 2020, two winners split that amount, while in August, 10 winners took $5m each.

In 2016, one winner took away the entire $44m jackpot.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Governor-General has travelled to Antarctica’s Scott Base to see the work happening on the ice.

During the visit, Dame Cindy Kiro and husband Dr Richard Davies also visited Scott’s Hut and Shackleton’s Hut, and saw the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s preservation work.

Antarctica New Zealand chief executive Jordy Hendrikx said it was an honour to host the pair, who arrived on Friday.

“The main purpose of the visit is for them to come and see what we do here in Antarctica, and understand the variety of tasks that we have from science to environmental protection, to heritage, and also the operations of the base, and how we maintain the operations and run all those services from a small footprint here in Antarctica,” he said.

Dame Cindy was the first Governor-General to visit Antarctica since 2003.

One of the most notable projects was the redevelopment of Scott Base.

“A number of these facilities are getting to end of life, and we’re in the process of building a new and fit-for-purpose facility for the next generation of scientists, and to ensure our continued presence here in Antarctica on behalf of New Zealand,” Hendrikx said.

The redevelopment plan was revised last year, after the budget blew out to $498 million from $250m.

Hendrikx said the team was working on a detailed business case to be taken to Cabinet in mid-2026. It proposed a three-stage redevelopment of Scott Base over the next 20-50 years, starting with the oldest and most dilapidated facilities.

“This year, in terms of physical work, we have a number of enabling works underway,” he said. “We have some civil works underway, so that’s preparing the platform for next year, placing of the piles and then moving forward into the main construction in subsequent years.”

Several science projects were also happening on the base.

“This is our peak science period, where the majority of our scientists are coming through the base, and heading out into the field to collect samples, set out instruments or pick up instruments, and download years or months of data collection in Antarctica,” Hendrikx said.

“We have a team looking at the health of the Ross Sea ecosystem. They’re doing that by understanding the behaviour and patterns of foraging of both the emperor penguins and weddell seals.

“The idea here is, if we can better understand the behaviours of these large mesopredators, we get a proxy for the overall health and vitality of the Ross Sea ecosystem, and how that might be responding to climate change.”

Other projects included looking at how sea ice was changing in response to climate change, he said.

“It’s a very busy base, and a real buzzing atmosphere of excitement, enthusiasm and new discovery happening at the moment.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The brakes on more than a quarter of trucks tested in a recent police operation on central North Island roads were found to be faulty.

Between 3-6 November, the police inspected 910 “heavy vehicles and trailers” at checkpoints on State Highway Five between Napier and Taupō, State Highway One at Turangi and State Highway 3 at Te Kuiti.

Of those, 165 had defects that included not being up to certificate of fitness standards, road user charges compliance, speeding, logbook problems and insecure loading.

The police said some were easy-to-fix problems that could be spotted by daily “walk around” checks, like faulty lights, brakes and wheels needing attention.

Authorities tested the brakes of 58 vehicles and 15 of them – 26 percent – were faulty.

“Nobody wants a heavy motor vehicle, often weighing over 50000kg, coming towards you with defective brakes,” said Senior Sergeant Lex Soepnel, from the police commercial vehicle safety team.

The police were focused on preventing crashes and not “picking up the pieces” afterwards, he said.

“What we’re asking for is simple. We have rules in place to keep all road users safe and we’re asking heavy vehicle operators to meet those standards.”

The police issued 141 infringement notices after the operation.

“We need everyone to ensure that their vehicles are maintained to a safe and compliant standard, and that drivers are well rested and not fatigued,” said Soepnel.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police have confirmed several fatalities at the scene of a house fire in Sanson on Saturday afternoon.

RNZ understands three children were missing after the fire.

Emergency services were called to the property southwest of the town about 2.30pm.

Fire and Emergency NZ have now handed the scene to police, who will commence an investigation into the circumstances of the fire, said Manawatū Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham.

Police confirmed they were not seeking anyone else in relation to the fire.

State Highway One was expected to re-open by about 8pm Saturday.

A police scene guard will remain in place overnight, with officers to return on Sunday morning.

Flames engulfed the home, closing the highway between Phillips Street and Speedy Road.

Fire and Emergency said the fire was now extinguished.

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