Saturday 21st of March 2026 12:05:18 PM
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Iran will respond to US-Israeli strikes as existential threats to the regime – because they are

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Javed Ali, Associate Professor of Practice of Public Policy, University of Michigan

After U.S. and Israeli missiles struck Iran’s nuclear sites in June 2025, Tehran responded with a limited attack on the American airbase in Qatar. Five years before that, a U.S. drone strike against Qasem Soleimani, head of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, was met with followed by an attack on two American bases in Iraq shortly thereafter.

Expect none of that restraint by Iran’s leaders following the latest U.S. and Israeli military operation currently playing out in the Gulf nation.

In the early hours of Feb. 28, 2026, hundreds of missiles struck multiple sites in Iran. Part of “Operation Epic Fury,” as the U.S. Department of Defense has called it, the strikes follow months of U.S. military buildup in the region. But they also come after apparent diplomatic efforts, in the shape of a series of nuclear talks in Oman and Geneva aimed at a peaceful resolution.

Any such deal is surely now completely off the table. In scale and scope, the U.S. and Israel attack goes far beyond any previous strikes on the Gulf nation.

In response, Iran has said it will use “crushing” force. As an expert on Middle East affairs and a former senior official at the National Security Council during the first Trump administration, I believe the calculus both in Washington and more so in Tehran is very different from earlier confrontations: Iran’s leaders almost certainly see this as an existential threat given President Donald Trump’s statement and the military campaign already underway. And there appears to be no obvious off-ramp to avoid further escalation.

What we should expect now is a response from Tehran that utilizes all of its capabilities – even though they have been significantly degraded. And that should be a worry for all nations in the region and beyond.

The apparent aims of the US operation

It is important to note that we are in the early stages of this conflict – much is unknown.

As of Feb. 28, it is unclear who has been killed among Iran’s leadership and to what extent Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities have been degraded. The fact that ballistic missiles have been launched at regional states that host U.S. military bases suggests that, at a minimum, Iran’s military capabilities have not been entirely wiped out.

Iran fired over 600 missiles against Israel last June during their 12-day war, but media reporting and Iranian statements over the past month suggested that Iran managed to replenish some of its missile inventory, which it is now using.

Clearly Washington is intent on crippling Iran’s ballistic program, as it is that capability that allows Iran to threaten the region most directly. A sticking point in the negotiations in Geneva and Oman was U.S. officials’ insistence that both Iran’s ballistic missiles and its funneling of support to proxy groups in the region be on the table, along with the longstanding condition that Tehran ends all uranium enrichment. Tehran has long resisted attempts to have limits on its ballistic missiles as part of any negotiated nuclear deal given their importance in Iran’s national security doctrine.

This explains why some U.S. and Israeli strikes appear to be aimed at taking out Iran’s ballistic and cruise missile launch sites and production facilities and storage locations for such weapons.

With no nuclear weapon, Iran’s ballistic missiles have been the country’s go-to method for responding to any threat. And so far in the current conflict, they have been used on nations including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.

‘It will be yours to take’

But the Trump administration appears to have expanded its aims beyond removing Iran’s nuclear and non-nuclear military threat. The latest strikes have gone after leadership, too.

Among the locations of the first U.S.-Israeli strikes was a Tehran compound in which the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in known to reside, and Israel’s prime minister has confirmed that the 86-year-old leader was a target of the operation.

While the status of the supreme leader and other key members of Iran’s leadership remains unknown as of this writing, it is clear that the U.S. administration hopes that regime change will follow Operation Epic Fury. “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” Trump told Iranians via a video message recorded during the early hours of the attack.

A man in a suit and a baseball cap with USA on it stands at a podium.
U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the nation on Iran strikes. US President Trump Via Truth Social/Anadolu via Getty Images

Regime change carries risks for Trump

Signaling a regime change operation may encourage Iranians unhappy with decades of repressive rule and economic woes to continue where they left off in January – when hundreds of thousands took to the street to protest.

But it carries risks for the U.S. and its interests. Iran’s leaders will no longer feel constrained, as they did after the Soleimani assassination and the June 2025 conflict. On those occasions, Iran responded in a way that was not even proportionate to its losses – limited strikes on American military bases in the region.

Now the gloves are off, and each side will be trying to land a knockout blow. But what does that constitute? The U.S. administration appears to be set on regime change. Iran’s leadership will be looking for something that goes beyond its previous retaliatory strikes – and that likely means American deaths. That eventuality has been anticipated by Trump, who warned that there might be American casualties.

So why is Trump willing to risk that now? It is clear to me that despite talk of progress in the rounds of diplomatic talks, Trump has lost his patience with the process.

On Feb. 26, after the latest round of talks in Geneva, we didn’t hear much from the U.S. side. Trump’s calculus may have been that Iran wasn’t taking the hint – made clear by adding a second carrier strike group to the other warships and hundreds of fighter aircraft sent to the region over the past several weeks – that Tehran had no option other than agreeing to the U.S. demands.

Three iranian men look out from a rooftop as smoke rises from explosions over buildings
Iranians watch as explosions erupt across Tehran. AP Photo

What happens next

What we don’t know is whether the U.S. strategy is now to pause and see if an initial round of strikes has forced Iran to sue for peace – or whether the initial strikes are just a prelude to more to come.

For now, the diplomatic ship appears to have sailed. Trump seems to have no appetite for a deal now – he just wants Iran’s regime gone.

In order to do that, he has made a number of calculated gambles. First politically and legally: Trump did not go through Congress before ordering Operation Epic Fury. Unlike 23 years ago when President George W. Bush took the U.S. into Iraq, there is no war authorization giving the president cover.

Instead, White House lawyers must have assessed that Trump can carry out this operation under his Article 2 powers to act as commander in chief. Even so, the 1973 War Powers Act will mean the clock is now ticking. If the attacks are not concluded in 60 days, the administration will have to go back to Congress and say the operation is complete, or work with Congress for an authorization to use force or a formal declaration of war.

The second gamble is whether Iranians will heed his call to remove a regime that many have long wanted gone. Given the ferocity of the regime’s response to the protests in January, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Iranians, are Iranians willing to face down Iran’s internal security forces and drive what remains of the regime from power?

Third, the U.S. administration has made a bet that the Iranian regime – even confronted with an existential threat – does not have the capability to drag the U.S. into a lengthy conflict to inflict massive casualties.

And this last point is crucial. Experts know Tehran has no nuclear bomb and only has a limited stockpile of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles.

But it can lean on unconventional capabilities. Terrorism is a real concern – either through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, which coordinates Iran’s unconventional warfare, or through its partnership with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Or actors like the Houthis in Yemen or Shia militias in Iraq may seek to conduct attacks against U.S. interests in solidarity with Iran or directed to do so by the regime.

A mass casualty event may put political pressure on Trump, but I cannot see it leading to U.S. boots on ground in Iran. The American public doesn’t have the appetite for such an eventuality, and that would necessitate Trump gaining Congressional approval, which for now has not yet materialized.

No one has a crystal ball, and it is early in an operation that will likely go on for days, if not longer. But one thing is clear: Iran’s regime is facing an existential threat. Do not expect it to show restraint.

– ref. Iran will respond to US-Israeli strikes as existential threats to the regime – because they are – https://theconversation.com/iran-will-respond-to-us-israeli-strikes-as-existential-threats-to-the-regime-because-they-are-277176

Body of kayaker who went missing in Auckland’s Waiwera found

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Surf lifesavers, police and the Coastguard during the search for the kayaker, north of Auckland, on Sunday. RNZ/ Nick Monro

The body of a kayaker missing near Auckland’s Waiwera has been found.

The man was seen coming out of his kayak, but then did not surface, and emergency services were called about 7.30am on Sunday, a police spokesperson said.

Police officers, the police Eagle helicopter team, Surf Lifesaving NZ lifeguards and Coastguard members responded immediately.

A police spokesperson said the man’s body was found on Sunday afternoon.

Police were providing his family with support and the death would be referred to the Coroner.

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

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled Iran with defiance and brutality for 36 years. For many Iranians, he will not be revered

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Thomas, Lecturer in Middle East Studies, Deakin University

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader for 36 years, has been killed in US and Israeli airstrikes on his country, according to US President Donald Trump. Iran did not immediately confirm his death.

As one of Iran’s longest-serving leaders, Khamenei has been almost as ubiquitous in Iranian society as his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979.

And despite the fact Khomeini authored the Iranian Revolution, some say Khamenei was actually the most powerful leader modern Iran has had.

In more than three decades as supreme leader, Khamenei amassed unprecedented power over domestic politics and cracked down ever more harshly on internal dissent. In recent years, he prioritised his survival – and that of his regime – above all else. His government brutally put down a popular uprising in December 2025–January 2026 that killed thousands.

Ultimately, though, Khamenei will not be remembered by most Iranians as a strong leader. Nor will he be revered. Instead, his legacy will be the profound weakness his regime brought the Islamic Republic on all fronts.

A man walks past a mural depicting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (left) and late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (right) during a funeral ceremony for security personnel killed during anti-government protests, in Tehran, Iran, January 14 2026. Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

Khamenei’s rise through the ranks

Khamenei was born in the city of Marshad in northeastern Iran in 1939. As a boy, he began to form his political and religious world view by studying at Islamic seminaries in Najaf and Qom. At 13, he started to embrace ideas relating to revolutionary Islam. These included the teachings of cleric Navab Safavi, who often called for political violence against the rule of the shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Khamenei met Khomeini in 1958 and immediately embraced his philosophy, often referred to as “Khomeinism”.

This world view was informed by anti-colonial sentiment, Shia Islam and elements of social engineering through state planning, particularly when it came to preserving a “just” Islamic society. Khomeinism stipulates that a system of earthly laws alone cannot create a just society – Iran must draw its legitimacy from “God Almighty”.

The concept of velayat-e faqih, also known as guardianship of the jurist, is central to Khomeinism. It dictates that the supreme leader should be endowed with “all the authorities that the Prophet and infallible Imams were entitled”.

Essentially, this means Iran was to be ruled by a single scholar of Shia Islam. This is where Khomeini, and later Khamenei, would draw their sweeping power and control.

From 1962, Khamenei began almost two decades of revolutionary activity against Pahlavi (the shah) on behalf of Khomeini, who was exiled in 1964. Khamenei was arrested by the shah’s secret police in 1971 and tortured, according to his memoirs.

When the shah was overthrown in the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Khomeini returned from exile to become the new supreme leader.

Khamenei was selected to join the Revolutionary Council, which ruled alongside the provisional government. He then became deputy defence minister and assisted in organising the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This military institution – initially created to protect the revolution and supreme leader – would become one of the most powerful political forces in Iran.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (sitting on chair), Ali Khamenei (middle), and Khomeini’s son, Ahmad Khomeini (left), pictured in 1981. Wikimedia Commons

After surviving an assassination attempt in 1981, Khamenei was elected president of Iran in 1982 and again in 1985. He held the presidency during the majority of the Iran–Iraq war – a conflict that devastated both countries in both human and economic cost.

Although subordinate to the supreme leader, Khamenei wielded significant power compared to later presidents, given the revolution was still very young and the Iraq war posed a great threat to the regime. But he remained in lock-step with Khomeini’s wishes. He also managed to build a close relationship with the IRGC that would go far beyond his presidency.

Then-President Ali Khamenei during a state visit to China in May 1989. Forrest Anderson/Getty Images

A surprising choice for supreme leader

Khomeini died in June 1989 after a period of deteriorating health, with no clear successor.

Khomeini had initially supported Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri to be his successor. However, Montazeri had become increasingly critical of the supreme leader’s authority and human rights violations in the country. He resigned in 1988 and was put under house arrest until his death in 2009.

Khamenei had the political credentials to lead. He was also a steadfast support of Khomeinism. However, he was seen a surprising choice for supreme leader when he was elected by the Assembly of Experts, a group of Islamic clerics.

In fact, his appointment sparked a significant amount of controversy and criticism. Some Islamic scholars believed he lacked the clerical rank of grand ayatollah, which was required under the constitution to ascend to the position. These critics believed the Iranian people would not respect the word of “a mere human being” without a proper connection to God.

A referendum was held in July 1989 to change the constitution to allow for a supreme leader who has shown “Islamic scholarship”. It passed overwhelmingly and Khamenei became an ayatollah.

Khamenei’s position had been consolidated on paper, but despite being president since 1982, he did not enjoy the same popularity as Khomeini within both the clerical elite and general public.

The constitutional amendments, however, had given Khamenei significantly more power to intervene in political affairs. In fact, he had far more power as supreme leader than Khomeini ever enjoyed.

This included the ability to determine general policies, appoint and dismiss members of the Council of Guardians, and order public referendums. He also had enough power to silence dissent with relative ease.

Consolidating power over the decades

Khamenei worked with his presidents to varying degrees, though he exercised his power to undermine legislation when he disagreed with it.

For example, he largely backed the economic agenda of President Hashemi Rafsanjani (who served from 1989 to 1997), but he often stood in the way of Mohammad Khatami (1997–2005) and Hassan Rouhani (2013–21). Both had attempted to reform Iran’s political system and foster a better relationship with the West.

Khamenei’s most famous intervention in domestic politics occurred after the first term of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005–13). After Ahmadinejad claimed victory in the disputed 2009 presidential election, thousands of Iranians took to the streets in one of the largest protest movements since the revolution. Khamenei backed the election result and cracked down harshly on the protesters. Dozens were killed (perhaps more), while thousands were arbitrarily arrested.

An Iranian protestor clenches her fist during an opposition rally in Tehran, Iran, on July 9 2009. AP

Khamenei later clashed with Ahmadinejad and warned him against seeking the presidency again in 2017. Ahmadinejad defied him, but was later barred from running.

After the death of hardline President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in 2024, Khameini continued his manoeuvring behind the scenes. After the reformist Masoud Pezeshkian won the presidency, Khameini immediately blocked him from negotiating with the United States over sanctions relief and used his influence to thwart his economic reform agenda.

And when protests again broke out at the end of 2025 over the struggling economy, Khamenei again ordered them to be crushed by any means necessary.

Iranian protesters blocking an intersection in Tehran during the anti-government demonstrations in Iran on January 8 2026. AP

A tarnished legacy

Thanks to the powers vested in him in the constitution, Khamenei also had extraordinary control over Iran’s foreign policy.

Like his mentor, Khomeini, he staunchly supported the regime’s resistance to what it considered “Western imperialism”. He was also a key architect of Iran’s regional proxy strategy, funding militant groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and others to carry out Iran’s military objectives.

Khamenei had, at times, been amenable to cooperation with the West – namely negotiating with the US over Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.

During the first Trump administration, however, Khamenei returned to a staunchly anti-Western posture. His government railed against Trump’s scuttling of the 2015 nuclear deal, the reimposed economic sanctions on Iran’s energy sector and the assassination of the head of the IRGC’s Quds force, Qassem Soleimani.

After Trump returned to office in 2025, Iran grew even weaker. And Khamenei’s anti-Western posture began to look increasingly hollow. Iran’s defeat in the 12-day war with Israel in 2025 shredded whatever legitimacy his regime had left.

In the months that followed, Khamenei ruled over a population increasingly resentful of the Iranian political system and its leadership. In the 2025–26 protests, some openly chanted for Khamenei’s death.

When Khomenei died in 1989, his state funeral was attended by millions. Mourners pulled him out of his coffin and scrambled for sacred mementos.

Though Khameini served longer, Iranians will likely not show the same grief for him.

– ref. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled Iran with defiance and brutality for 36 years. For many Iranians, he will not be revered – https://theconversation.com/ayatollah-ali-khamenei-has-ruled-iran-with-defiance-and-brutality-for-36-years-for-many-iranians-he-will-not-be-revered-259268

Hurricanes lose one of first-five for rest of Super Rugby campaign

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Brett Cameron, while playing for the Hurricanes in 2024. Aaron Gillions / www.photosport.nz

The Hurricanes have lost one of their lynchpins for the rest of the Super Rugby season.

First-five Brett Cameron is due to undergo surgery after sustaining a significant knee injury during last week’s match against Moana Pasifika.

“It’s obviously hugely disappointing to lose one of our best players in game one, especially given it comes after an ACL injury on his other knee,” Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw said.

“We’re here to support and help him through it, initially with the surgery and then with the rehab.

“We know it’s a tough road ahead, but we also know that he’s up for it and we’re up for it to support and rehab him so he can get back to playing as soon as possible.

“As tough as it is, we have amazing medics, a great facility and we know how to rehab players really well, so we’ll get on with that once the surgery has been done,” Laidlaw said.

Cameron has been a Hurricanes player since 2023, after being at the Crusaders between 2017 and 2020.

He played one test for the All Blacks in 2018.

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Kiwi skier bounces back after Winter Olympics

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Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand skier Alice Robinson, in action at the recent Winter Olympics in Italy. www.photosport.nz

New Zealand skier Alice Robinson has bounced back from missing out on a medal at the Winter Olympics, finishing second in the FIS World Cup Super-G round in Andorra.

The 24-year-old put her foot down in the steep fast sections of the Aliga course in Soldeu, to post a final time of 1:27.60, crossing the line +0.88s behind Germany’s Emma Aicher, the two-time Milano Cortina silver medallist, who recorded her second Super G win of the season.

“I’m really happy. It was such a nice day and such an amazing slope,” Robinson said.

“I had great feelings all the way down. I love it here in Andorra and have a pretty good track record, so I wanted to keep it going.

“I think I executed the steep part really well. I knew the top section wasn’t my kind of course – really flat and glidey – so I’m proud of myself for getting the most out of sections I knew I could ski fast. It’s really nice to be back on the podium.”

The podium in Andorra means Robinson remains second in the Super G season standings, with 300 points.

She trails leader Italy’s Sofia Goggia by just 20 points, making her a real contender in the Crystal Globe chase, with Aicher in third with 224 points, ahead of the injured Lindsey Vonn.

“Even though I didn’t get a medal at the Olympics I was happy with how I skied. I felt I executed well and want to finish off the season well,” Robinson said.

“Maybe this is the thing that’s going to get my confidence back where it needs to be, so I’m really excited we’ve got another day here tomorrow.”

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Two injured in serious assault after burnouts, police say

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police want to hear from anyone who recognises this car, or its occupants, shown in stills from footage taken on Saturday night in Matangi, Waikato. Supplied/ NZ Police

Two people have been seriously injured in an assault after a car did burnouts in a rural road in the Waikato town of Matangi, police say.

The attack happened on Saturday night after the dark-coloured Ford Falcon was seen doing “noisy” doughnuts, a police spokesperson said.

“Two people were trying to speak to the occupants … Three occupants got out [of the car] and assaulted the victims.

“It was a cowardly attack and the two victims were seriously injured.”

Police are seeking information about the people in the footage taken in Matangi on Saturday night. Supplied/ NZ Police

Both victims required hospital treatment, police said.

The car was a dark-coloured Ford Falcon sedan.

Supplied/ NZ Police

“If you witnessed the incident, have CCTV footage or dashcam footage of Marychurch Road around 8pm last night, then please contact Police,” they said.

“Anyone that has information on the people pictured or details of a dark-coloured Ford Falcon should contact 105 either over phone or online by clicking ‘Update Report’. Please use file number 260301/0526.”

Information could also be supplied via Crimestoppers, by calling 0800 555 111.

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Mediawatch: Govt moves on rough sleeping – by moving it on

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The New Zealand Herald front page the morning after the government announcement. New Zealand Herald

“Last week was not a particularly fun time for the government,” The Post’s deputy political editor Henry Cooke said in his weekly wrap of the week’s politics for Stuff.

Cooke cited bad Post poll results, “coalition squabbling” scuppering a four-year term referendum, and bad headlines about possible road tolls and Wellington tunnels.

“It’s no surprise that the governing parties have been focusing on their comfort food – policy areas where they feel supremely confident,” Cooke said.

Such as… law and order.

Last Sunday the PM announced new powers for police to move on city centre rough sleepers and beggars.

That came hard on the heels of rolling back plans to intensify housing in Auckland.

Christopher Luxon told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking the new move-on powers came after listening to Aucklanders’ concerns. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Christopher Luxon told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking last Monday that change came after listening to Aucklanders’ concerns. But in the same interview he said he would not take on board objections to the announcement about where people without homes should live.

Earlier the Police Association leader Steve Watt had told Newstalk ZB moving rough sleepers and beggars on was not the best use of police time.

“You sound like a social worker,” presenter Mike Hosking told Watt, who had just explained that that was the position police officers did not want to be in – dealing with beggars and rough sleepers.

Time to set the news agenda

“It’s been announced on a Sunday because the government thinks it’s a winner. It sets the political agenda. Sunday night’s news is still the most watched night of the week,” former Green MP Gareth Hughes said on RNZ’s Nine to Noon last Monday.

“The decision was made by Cabinet in December and they chose to roll out this policy at the weekend after that spat over housing intensification in Auckland,” The Post’s national affairs editor Andrea Vance said on the RNZ’s political show The Whip.

On RNZ’s Focus on Politics, reporter Giles Dexter said it had been in the political pipeline since October last year, after city business owners and workers’ complaints about anti-social behaviour.

Business group Heart of the City “reluctantly” released a scathing survey and put a full-page open letter in the Herald urging government to act.

And if leading the news last Monday was the idea, that clearly worked.

“While politics eases into a quieter phase with Parliament in recess, the week started off on a strong note for the government with an announcement on move on orders,” The Post said on Monday.

But it also drew strong criticism from social agencies and welfare experts – and some journalists.

Pushback against orders

The plan is to tweak the Summary Offences Act so police could move on those over 14-years-old displaying disorderly, disruptive, threatening or intimidating behaviour.

It would also apply to all forms of begging and rough sleeping – and even behaviour “indicating an intent to inhabit a public place”.

Those moved on would then have to leave yet-to-be specified area for 24 hours by “a reasonable distance” which would be specified by police – or face fines of up to $2000 or three months in jail.

“I think it’s a cruel policy. The police and the social services have said that it won’t fix anything,” The Post’s Andrea Vance said, condemning it as “PPP – purely performative politics”.

Former National Party minister Wayne Mapp. Pool / Fairfax Visuals

But fellow Whip guest Wayne Mapp – a former National Party minister – argued people occupying prime CBD space was not fair on other people – and those trying to do business there.

“I just think that this is an extra power that police can use in the Summary Offences Act when they really need it. And by golly, I’ve seen situations where it would be handy.”

The previous government was also on shaky ground.

In 2023 its associate minister for housing Marama Davidson rounded on then-opposition MP Nicola Willis when she said women feared people the streets of Wellington. But Davidson hadn’t produced a single report, briefing paper or press release on the topic.

Jenna Lynch – the political editor at Newshub – subsequently revealed her ministerial diary had only two entries related to housing for the past three months.

This week the PM copped flak for citing the sensibilities of “Chuck and Mary from the US on the cruise of a lifetime pulling into Auckland” and visitors to the just-opened Auckland Convention Centre.

Others cited the soon-to-open CRL stations – and the long suffering businesses near them who are still open.

The Prime Minister, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Police Minister Mark Mitchell all said it would be up to police officers to make this work – like the gang patch ban the same ministers all cited as well.

But while wearing a gang patch is a simple judgement for police officers to make, move on orders would apply to some people who haven’t committed an offence.

The Summary Offences Act already outlaws disorderly, threatening and offensive behaviour.

“Toughen up laws and you will be amazed how quickly the problem gets solved,” Hosking told his listeners, citing the decline in ramraids over the past year.

Maybe – but only if the problem is only outside businesses in our CBDs.

Move where?

If the people with problems are moved on, the problems are likely to go with them to streets and communities and businesses further afield.

“There are large encampments now outside of town centres all over the US – and I really don’t think that’s the sort of thing that New Zealanders want to see,” Community housing Aotearoa Chief Executive Paul Gilbert told ZB news.

ZB Drive host Heather du Plessis-Allan. NZME

But ZB Drive host Heather du Plessis-Allan seemed okay with it.

“Irritate them till they find somewhere like a cemetery to go and sit where the rest of us don’t want to be. Do you know what I mean? So they can go and camp somewhere by themselves and the rest of us can use Karangahape Road,” she said this week.

Homeless encampments in city cemeteries is not quite the intensification of accommodation that anyone else had in mind.

The bigger, tougher picture.

When TVNZ’s 1News at 6pm led with the move on orders last Sunday, they noted the government had already cut the numbers of people in emergency housing and motels last year – and restricted eligibility for it.

“The National Homelessness Data Project showed homelessness in Auckland more than doubled in a year, from around 400 in 2024 to more than 900 in 2025,” viewers were told.

On his own outlet The Kaka Bernard Hickey zeroed in on the potential cost if the law change is enforced.

“Removing 3,500 people from emergency accommodation at a cost of $233 per person per night saved $156 million a year over the last 18 months for the government,” Hickey calculated.

People living and working in Auckland’s central city protesting the move to force out homeless people. Supplied

New accommodation has been built, he said, but much of it is behind bars.

“According to Corrections, the government has helped fund and organise the creation of an extra 2,000 prison beds. They cost $552 per night. And various budget announcements in 2024 and 2025 have led to the delivery of 420 new homes and an extra 120 or so Housing First places,” Hickey said.

The Herald called the move on orders “at best a temporary fix”, which could also increase the burden on our justice and correction systems.

And it will fall to local councils and charities to cater for rough sleepers moved out of town and city centres (unless they are jailed).

Councils have already been told by the government to focus on the basics – and with future revenue restricted by capped rates.

After 8am on Wednesday morning, both RNZ’s Morning Report and the Mike Hosking Breakfast on Newstalk ZB had National and Labour MPs head-to-head arguing about who was really to blame for increased homelessness and disorder – in spite of fresh statistics showing crime and disorder was down for all of Auckland (if not just the CBD).

On his Blue Review blog, pundit Liam Hehir said the law change would move on people who are homeless, but not threatening or intimidating people – and not just in our three biggest city centres.

And police would exercise discretion in ways that inevitably won’t be consistent.

“The real task is to distinguish between conduct that threatens others and conduct that reflects hardship. The current proposal blurs that distinction and that invites uneven enforcement and erodes confidence in the law,” Hehir wrote.

It was just one opinion among many written or aired this past week – but one with a fair chance of ageing well if the suggested law change takes effect.

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Serious crash blocks Auckland’s Northwestern Motorway

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Emergency services workers at the scene of a serious crash that blocked traffic on Auckland’s North Western Motorway on Sunday. RNZ

A serious crash has blocked eastbound traffic on Auckland’s Northwestern Motorway – State Highway 16 into the city, with drivers called to avoid the area.

An RNZ reporter said one car was wrecked in the Sunday morning crash, and by 11.30am traffic was built up as far as Hobsonville Rd.

Police said one person was seriously injured in the two-vehicle collision, and ambulance crews were at the scene.

“Only one lane is open at this time, causing traffic to build. Motorists are advised to avoid the motorway at this time, or delay travel,” the police spokesperson said.

NZTA said the crash was in the eastbound Lincoln Rd to Te Atatu Rd section of SH16, and also said drivers should avoid the area.

RNZ

RNZ

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

Watch: Foreign Minister Winston Peters on Iran strikes

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Foreign Affairs minister says New Zealand was not given any advance notice of the attack on Iran, and has again urged New Zealanders to leave if it is safe to do so.

The United States and Israel launched a major attack on Iran, with US President Donald Trump claiming the attack killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

At this stage, the United Nations were unable to confirm the Ayatollah’s death.

The New Zealand government said the US and Israel’s actions were “designed to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten international peace and security,” and condemnded Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.

It also called for a “resumption of negotiations and adherence to international law,” urging the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution that “returns Iran to the community of nations.”

Speaking at the Defence Force base at Auckland’s Whenuapai on Sunday, Winston Peters said all sorts of people would want to “pontificate” on the attack, but the rule of law needed to be enforced.

Winston Peters speaking at the Whenuapai Airbase. RNZ/Paris Ibell

“Iran has been a promoter of terrorism in countless theatres for decades now. That’s not an excuse for what you’ve seen. But it is an explanation,” he said.

It was “premature” to talk about what New Zealand would do if things escalated, Peters said.

“Let’s see what we’re dealing with. We’re doing our best to talk to our international partners and other collaborators around the world.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade had told New Zealanders in the region to shelter in place, and to follow the advice of local authorities and register on SafeTravel.

Peters said there were around 34 to 38 New Zealanders registered in Iran, but there would be “many more.”

The government has long told New Zealanders in Iran to leave, a message Peters reiterated if people were able to do so.

“It will be very difficult in the risky cities. But if you’re out in the countryside and can get away, give it a go. Otherwise, try and say safe, stay inside, and we’ll see how things develop. But it’s very, very difficult for us, this far away from personal circumstances to tell people what to do,” he said.

“Mind you, we’ve been telling them for weeks to get ready, just in case this happened. Maybe next time, listen to the government of New Zealand, who does care what their future might be.”

A repatriation flight was possible, “if it comes to that,” but it was too risky at the moment.

“We’ll do our best that we can, but we are a long, long way from this conflict. Way out in the south west Pacific. Let’s not get too rushed trying to be involved here.”

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Marilyn Garson: Waking up to terror in this new world of impunity

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COMMENTARY: By Marilyn Garson

Look around this morning.

America and Israel, nuclear-armed states have attacked Iran.

Israel, which has never declared its nuclear stockpiles nor its borders, has spent 2.5 years committing genocide against Gaza, a trapped community with no significant defensive weapons.

Israel has bombed six countries which are not at war with it. America funded it and elected Donald Trump to lead the violence from the front.

America and Israel pontificate about other states’ fitness to hold nuclear weapons.

Nuclear-armed Russia has invaded and battered Ukraine for four long years. Nuclear-armed Pakistan has begun to bomb the cities of Afghanistan, a state which lacks even an air force with which to defend its people (not that the Taliban care for the lives of their people).

We awake in the world that wise, caring people worked to avert for over a century; a world of impunity and gleeful slaughter by the already-overarmed.

People tried to minimise the risk and the harm of war with a few basic agreements. They dared to intervene for the protection and survival of civilians, doctors, journalists. They wrote laws to criminalise aggression and genocide.

All this is going up in smoke, and not one of the aggressors/provocateurs/genocidaires has a viable claim of self-defence.

How many people wake up in terror this morning (if they slept at all last night) in this new world?

Marilyn Garson writes about Palestinian and Jewish dissent.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Watch live: Foreign Minister Winston Peters to speak to media on Iran strikes

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Foreign Minister Winston Peters spoke to media about the unfolding conflict in Iran.

Peters was at Auckland’s Whenuapai Airbase on Sunday morning.

It comes after a US-Israeli attack on Iran which US President Donald Trump had indicated was aimed at overturning Tehran’s government.

The attack had killed more than 200 people, according to Iranian state media.

Israel sources confirmed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes.

Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes against American military bases across the Middle East, as well as Israel.

Peters said it was premature to come to any conclusion on the attacks.

“Iran has been a promoter of terrorism in countless theatres for decades now. That’s not an excuse for what we’ve seen, but it is an explanation.”

Peters said New Zealand was not given notice in advance of the attacks.

He said there were between 34-38 New Zealanders registered in Iran, and if it came to it there would be repatriation flights

The New Zealand government released a joint statement on Iran from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Peters earlier on Sunday morning.

It said New Zealand has “consistently condemned Iran’s nuclear programme its destabilising activities in the region and elsewhere, and its repression of its own people.”

The government also condemned Iran’s strikes on surrounding nations.

It said New Zealand Embassies in the region are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to provide support to New Zealanders

“We call for a resumption of negotiations and adherence to international law – and we urge the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution that returns Iran to the community of nations.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade advises New Zealanders in the region to shelter in place. The government said New Zealanders should follow the advice of local authorities and register on SafeTravel.

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KiwiSaver laws changing to help farmers buy first homes

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Finance Minister Nicola Willis announces changes to KiwiSaver for live-in service workers, on Sunday 1 March, alongside Rangitīkei MPs Suze Redmayne and Mike Butterick, at his Wairarapa farm. RNZ/ Anneke Smith

The government is changing KiwiSaver laws so first-time farm buyers and other workers with ‘live in’ job residences can use their accounts to buy a first home.

For more than a decade, people have been able to withdraw from their KiwiSaver accounts to purchase a first home, so long as they live in the home they buy.

Minister of Finance Nicola Willis said the rules had unfairly prevented people with jobs that require them to live in provided housing from getting on the property ladder.

“Workers in service tenancies, such as farm workers, rural teachers, country cops, and defence personnel, have effectively been locked out of first home withdrawal because their jobs require them to live in employer-provided housing,” she said.

“[That’s] not fair, so we’re making a technical change to the KiwiSaver Act to ensure workers in service tenancies aren’t denied the opportunity to put a foot on the property ladder.

“The change will allow service tenancy workers to use their KiwiSaver for a first home purchase without having to live in it.”

Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson said the law would also be changed to allow first-time farm buyers to put their KiwiSaver balances towards the purchase of a farm through a commercial entity they majority own, where it will be their principal place of residence.

KiwiSaver rules currently allow the purchase of a farm under a KiwiSaver member’s name – so long as they intend to live on it – though in practice most farms are purchased through a company or trust, he said.

“This reflects the commercial reality of modern farm ownership. Most farms are purchased through companies or trusts. Until now, that has prevented aspiring farmers from accessing KiwiSaver in the same way as someone buying a house in town.”

“The reforms deliver on the Government’s commitment to back rural New Zealand and remove unnecessary barriers. These are targeted, practical changes that maintain KiwiSaver’s core purpose, while making the scheme fairer for rural communities,” Simpson said.

Legislation giving effect to the changes will be introduced to Parliament in the middle of the year.

The changes reflect the ideas put forward in a member’s bill in the name of National MP for Rangitīkei Suze Redmayne.

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Health NZ works on national plan for troubled pathology lab sector

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The pathology lab sector has been marred by strikes over low public versus private lab pay and quality control issues. 123rf

Health New Zealand has started working on a national plan for the troubled pathology lab sector.

Pathology labs are vital but a choke point in processing virtually all the samples of patients from hospitals and doctors.

The sector has been marred by strikes over low private lab versus public lab pay, quality control issues and critics say its fragmentation harms patients.

Health NZ said its new national strategy and plan would take a 10-year view and be finished in the second half of this year.

The plan was about “providing direction for system-wide change to improve patient experience, for example by improving consistency of service across the country”, it said in a statement.

It would be looking at patient and referrer needs, capacity need, capability requirements responding to both new medical advances and technology advances, along with workforce planning.

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

Country’s lightest electric double-decker bus to hit Christchurch’s roads next week

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Chair Deon Swiggs, Councillor Joe Davies and corporate and public transport director Giles Southwell in front of the new bus. Supplied / Environment Canterbury

The lightest fully electric double decker bus to hit the road in New Zealand will officially join Metro’s fleet in Christchurch next week.

Developed by global automotive innovator Geely and bus operator Kinetic, the bus is the first electric double decker bus not to require a weight permit.

Canterbury Regional Council chair Deon Swiggs said in an urban environment not needing a weight permit meant less wear and tear on the road surface.

“A number of councils are worried about heavy vehicles on inner city streets or urban streets. It’s a very real concern.

“Now we’re getting the technology to make sure that we don’t go into heavy vehicles on streets where people are living, but we can also now have double-decker buses, which increases the amount of people we can get into those public transport vehicles and still have them underweight.”

Swiggs said not having to go through the permit process meant they were also able to get the bus on the road quicker.

The bus was built with aerospace-grade aluminium technology, similar to that used in the Airbus A380, giving it a stronger and lighter frame than traditional steel construction – reducing road wear, tyre and brake use, and energy consumption.

More than 30 engineers were involved in the project

“It took almost two years to perfect this bus – this is the fourth version Geely made. The intense development and testing of this vehicle demonstrates how cutting edge it is,” said Swiggs.

Inside the top deck of Canterbury’s innovative new bus. Supplied / Environment Canterbury

Earlier prototypes did not meet New Zealand’s road weight requirements to operate without a permit.

The bus could take up to 95 customers including 14 standing downstairs and had a customer loading screen on the ground level to indicate how many seats were left upstairs.

Cameras located on the upper level would also allow the driver to see who was deboarding, so they could wait the appropriate amount of time for customers to hop off once the bus had come to a stop.

The bus was intended to start on the Route 7 Halswell-Queenspark service and would be tested on several of Metro’s busier routes.

The double-decker was the first electric version in Metro’s fleet, and its second double-decker.

It brought Metro’s total number of electric vehicles to 71, with the company aiming to have a fully electric fleet by 2035.

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

Worries war could affect relationship between Pakistani, Afghan New Zealanders

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Asif Saeed Khan is the president of Pakistan Association of New Zealand. RNZ / Blessen Tom

The Pakistan Association of New Zealand is fearing that the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan will affect the relationship between Pakistani and Afghan New Zealanders.

Pakistan bombed cities in Afghanistan, including the capital Kabul, on Friday.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared an “all-out confrontation” with the Taliban.

“Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us,” he said.

The Pakistan Association of New Zealand president Dr Asif Saeed Khan told RNZ that it was very unfortunate, and very much unexpected.

“They are very close to each other in terms of culture, religion, and all that.”

Khan said Pakistan and Afghanistan shared a border of more than 2500 kilometres, with people of Pashtun ethnicity living in both countries.

Pakistanis had supported Afghans for nearly 50 years, since the Cold War, Khan added.

“The war is a kind of a confusion in this regard.”

Taliban security personnel stand guard near the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the Nangarhar province after Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan. Aimal Zahir

However, the relationship between the Taliban-led Afghanistan and Pakistan has been volatile.

The latest violence erupted after Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory last weekend triggered Afghan retaliatory attacks along the border, escalating long-simmering tensions over Pakistan’s claim that Afghanistan shelters Pakistani Taliban militants, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.

Afghanistan denies this.

Pakistanis believed there was no other option but to stop the conflict, Khan said, especially as it was during the month of Ramadan.

Ramadan, in Islam, is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar – from 17 February to 19 March in 2026.

“The month of Ramadan is usually the month of peace… so it is a violation of that tradition… we are fighting, and we are creating havoc on each other,” Khan said.

He also feared that it would also cause conflict between Pakistani and Afghan New Zealanders if it did not stop.

“There is a kind of situation which is very dangerous in this land, that this will definitely impact their relationship as well.

“The Pakistanis living in New Zealand, and the Afghanis living in New Zealand, they are definitely creating a kind of a bad feeling and a mistrust kind of thing, because obviously, all those things which happen overseas, they have got an overlapping effect.”

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

‘By the end of the year, they’re making their own clothes’

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Heather Black has always sewed, starting age 12 on an old-style treadle sewing machine.

It was a skill she taught herself out of necessity, she told RNZ’s Nine to Noon.

“We didn’t have a lot of access to clothes. I was tired of wearing hand-me-downs, and so I just started making my own clothes out of sheets, blankets, curtains, whatever I could find.” she says.

Heather Black, on left, with two of her students.

Adult & Community Education

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

Local addicts, Yellowstone expands and Louis Theroux mans up: March’s best TV

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere

In his disarmingly polite way, the acclaimed documentarian enters the toxic hellhole of the manosphere to expose the people pushing this misogynistic movement to men and teenage boys around the world.

Talking to GQ, Theroux likened making this doco to facing “the final boss,” which, given the subjects found in his filmography, shows just how problematic the men he encounters here are.

Discovering that “racism, antisemitism, misogyny, homophobia, porn, human trafficking — they’re all folded in”, this promises to be an unsettling, horrifically eye-opening watch.

Louis Theroux in Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere.

Pip/Netflix

Watch: Netflix

When: From 11 March

Crackhead

This local dark dramedy is based on the experiences that creator, writer, and star Holly Shervey encountered when she checked into a psychiatric care clinic in 2010. The series follows Frankie, a 20-something who is sentenced to rehab after accidentally burning down her sister’s house while high and drunk.

With its kinetic direction and raw, lived-in script, Crackhead expertly balances harrowing emotion with pitch-black humour. It’s a potent dose of television that leaves you constantly wanting more.

Watch: Three & ThreeNow

When: Mid-March.

Holly Shervey in Crackhead.

Matt Klitscher

Marshals / The Madison

The ‘Sheridanverse’ expands this month with two new entries from Yellowstone’s uber-TV producer, Taylor Sheridan. The first is Marshals, a direct Yellowstone spin-off following the fan favourite character Kayce Dutton as he joins an elite unit of US Marshals and struggles with work-life balance and the high psychological costs of his job.

The second sounds more interesting. It sees screen greats Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell packing up their family and leaving New York for the sweeping vistas of Montana after a life-shattering tragedy. Described as “powerful, emotional” viewing, its leads could lasso new viewers into Yellowstone’s sphere.

Watch: Neon

When: Marshals, Monday 2 March, The Madison, Sunday 15 March.

Michelle Pfeiffer in The Madison.

Neon

Ghost Elephants

We all know you can’t eat ghost chips, but can you find ghost elephants? That’s the question the acclaimed filmmaker and poetic miserablist Werner Herzog hopes to answer as he tags along with a conservation biologist into the highlands of Angola.

The pair is searching for legend, a new species of African elephants that’s been spoken of for generations but never actually sighted by humans.

Watch: Disney+

When: Sunday 8 March

Werner Herzog documentary Ghost Elephants.

Supplied

Scarpetta

Nicole Kidman stars as forensic pathologist D. Kay Scarpetta in this big-budget adaptation of Patricia Cornwell’s bestselling crime novels.

The show sees Scarpetta using modern forensic tools and her psychological training to investigate a serial killer terrorising her old hometown.

Things take a personal twist when she begins to suspect the killer may feature prominently in her past, allowing the show to divide into dual timelines as it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats and guessing whodunnit.

Watch: Prime Video

When: Wednesday, 11 March

Nicole Kidman as Kay Scarpetta.

Amazon MGM Studios

Hyundai Country Calendar

A big happy birthday to this iconic celebration of rural life that now cements itself as one of the longest-running shows on the telly.

The show debuted in 1966, seven years before colour TV’s arrived in Aotearoa, and has been running strong since. Its tales of kiwi life and documentation of the heartland have never lost relevance in its six decades of storytelling.

The 60th celebration features all-new episodes and will also highlight some classics from the archives.

Now, when’s A Dog’s Show coming back?

Watch: TVNZ 1

When: Friday, 6 March

John Clarke as Fred Dagg on Country Calendar in 1974

NZ On Screen / Screenshot

Extra viewing

Rooster

Steve Carell’s crime novelist visits his daughter at an elite college and finds himself embroiled in a plot straight out of one of his books.

Watch: Neon

When: Monday, 9 March

Steve Carell in Rooster.

Supplied

Track Stars

Aoteroa’s top athletes, celebrities and household names come together in this special event to compete in a series of track and field events.

The sportsfolk will be competing for New Zealand titles, while everyone else competes for bragging rights and our entertainment.

Watch: TVNZ 1

When: Saturday, 7 March

Young Sherlock

The big mystery of this coming-of-age thriller series focusing on a 19-year-old Sherlock Holmes is whether director Guy Ritchie has given the popular consulting detective a geezer makeover.

Watch: Prime Video

When: Wednesday, 4 March

Dónal Finn as James Moriarty and Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Sherlock Holmes in Young Sherlock.

Prime

Karl Puschmann is an arts and entertainment journalist, and also runs Screen Crack, a popular Substack dedicated to deep-diving into film and television. screencrack.substack.com.

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

NZ rally slams Five Eyes intelligence ties hours before US-Israel attack on Iran

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Asia Pacific Report

Speakers at a pro-Palestine rally in central Auckland Tamaki Makaurau today were highly critical of the erosion of New Zealand’s once proud nuclear-free and independent foreign policy.

They also warned against being tied into a United States that is pivoting a hostile policy towards China, New Zealand’s major trading partner.

Ironically, just hours after the rally ended news broke of the unprovoked and illegal attack by Israel and the US against Iran barely eight months after a 12-day war last year.

With a theme posing the question “Is New Zealand a peace loving nation or a cog in the US war machine,” the speakers concluded that indeed the Pacific country was a “US war machine cog”.

Physicist Dr Peter Wills, a long-time activist and advocate for peace and a nuclear-free Pacific, focused on New Zealand’s role in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance.

He said the Five Eyes relationship has superseded ANZUS “or anything else”, saying while  the pact formalised in 1946 used to be intelligence, now it was the name of a five-nation military grouping.

“That’s the Anglo-Saxon countries,” he said. “Us good English-speaking people, you know, the white imperialists and colonialists of the world – the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and little old New Zealand.

“We’re all a part of it.

Eavesdropping on countries
“It used to be an intelligence agreement because they would talk about what they have listened to with other countries by eavesdropping on their radio communications and so on.

“But now everything has become so integrated, they have become the centre of war fighting.”

An Auckland protester with a “fake ceasefire” banner criticising the almost daily villations by Israel in Gaza. Image: Asia Pacific Report

Explaining further, Dr Wills said: “And so they have this thing that they call C-5, which is command control for communications, computers and cyber.”

He said a top priority project was to make up a globally integrated “all domain” command and control system, which was hoped to be in place for next year.

The project had been discussed in Portsmouth, UK, in May 2024. Its purpose was to track friendly and enemy forces and send orders for attack.

“All domains – navy, land, air and space forces,” said Dr Wills, an honorary professor.

Globally integrated intelligence and military actions could be launched and directed anywhere in the world.

Protesters at today’s pro-Palestine rally in Te Komititanga Square. Image: Asia Pacific Report

Countering China
It was electronic infrastructure for a superpower confrontation – to “develop a credible and effective combined all-domain command and control capability for operations to counter China”.

For Five Eyes officers overseeing these new digital and AI war-fighting systems at the Portsmouth meeting, a key objective was building the capability for confrontation with China.

“This means NZ following the US into military conflict with China,” Dr Wills said.

“We are involved in GIDE – Global Information Dominance Experiments, a new one is prepared every three months.

“And we will align with whatever is chosen by Five Eyes, either British or American.”

From an American point of view, said Dr Wills, New Zealand was a US ally, eager to play a role, “however small we are, to supporting the US around the globe”.

They also wanted NZ to get rid of its anti-nuclear legislation and return to ANZUS. This was the view of senior military officers and senior foreign affairs and intelligence officials

US ‘instability and bullying’
However, the majority of New Zealanders saw the US as a “source of instability and bullying” of New Zealand over its nuclear stand.

Dr Wills said New Zealand was influenced by the Anglo-American alliance today on many fronts, such as:

  • NZ Navy ships transiting “provocatively” through the South China Sea;
  • Being pressured to double military spending,;
  • Being pressured to join the “anti-China” AUKUS alliance;
  • The recent opening of a US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) office in Wellington; and
  • New Zealand playing an increasing role in space warfare.

But Dr Wills warned people “don’t give up – they haven’t won, not even with their arguments”.

He also called on people to become better informed, such as reading Nicky Hager’s 2011 book Other People’s Wars.

Polynesian Panther Tigilau Ness and his mokopuna (saxophone) . . . their rendition of “We Are All Palestinians” was dedicated to activist and Kia Ora Gaza co-founder Roger Fowler who died last Saturday. Image: Asia Pacific Report

NZ’s nuclear-free stance
Other speakers included nuclear-free New Zealand historian and activist Maire Leadbeater, who outlined the early trajectory of the country’s opposition to French nuclear tests in the Pacific by dispatching a frigate to Moruroa, and the campaign to declare New Zealand nuclear-free.

She said New Zealand had led the way in the 1970s and 1980s and could take a principled independent foreign policy stand again.

The rally also invoked the spirit of Kia Ora Gaza co-founder and campaigner Roger Fowler, who died last Saturday and who was farewelled at a “celebration of life” ceremony at Ngā Tapuwae Community Centre in Mangere East on Wednesday.

Veteran Polynesian Panther Tigilau Ness and his grandson on the saxophone played a rousing rendition of the popular song “We Are All Palestinians”, created by Fowler, and South African-born activist Achmat Esau read out his poem, “Roger, I Did Not Know” in tribute.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Iran has been attacked by US and Israel when peace was within reach

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bamo Nouri, Honorary Research Fellow, Department of International Politics, City St George’s, University of London

US and Iranian negotiators met in Geneva earlier this week in what mediators described as the most serious and constructive talks in years. Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, spoke publicly of “unprecedented openness,” signalling that both sides were exploring creative formulations rather than repeating entrenched positions. Discussions showed flexibility on nuclear limits and sanctions relief, and mediators indicated that a principles agreement could have been reached within days, with detailed verification mechanisms to follow within months.

These were not hollow gestures. Real diplomatic capital was being spent. Iranian officials floated proposals designed to meet US political realities – including potential access to energy sectors and economic cooperation. These were gestures calibrated to allow Donald Trump to present any deal as tougher and more advantageous than the 2015 agreement he withdrew the US from in May 2018. Tehran appeared to understand the optics Washington required, even if contentious issues such as ballistic missiles and regional proxy networks remained outside the immediate framework. Then, in the middle of these talks, the bridge was shattered.

Sensing how close the negotiations were — and how imminent military escalation had become — Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, made an emergency dash to Washington in a last-ditch effort to preserve the diplomatic track.

In an unusually public move for a mediator, he appeared on CBS to outline just how far the talks had progressed. He described a deal that would eliminate Iranian stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, down-blend existing material inside Iran, and allow full verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — with the possibility of US inspectors participating alongside them. Iran, he suggested, would enrich only for civilian purposes. A principles agreement, he indicated, could be signed within days. It was a remarkable disclosure — effectively revealing the contours of a near-breakthrough in an attempt to prevent imminent war.

But rather than allowing diplomacy to conclude, the US and Israel have launched coordinated strikes across Iran. Explosions were reported in Tehran and other cities. Trump announced “major combat operations,”, framing them as necessary to eliminate nuclear and missile threats while urging Iranians to seize the moment and overthrow their leadership. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting US bases and allied states across the region.

What is most striking is not merely that diplomacy failed, but that it failed amid visible progress. Mediators were openly discussing a viable framework; both sides had demonstrated flexibility – a pathway to constrain nuclear escalation appeared tangible. Choosing military escalation at that moment undermines the premise that negotiation is a genuine alternative to war. It signals that even active diplomacy offers no guarantee of restraint. Peace was not naïve. It was plausible.

Iran’s approach in Geneva was strategic, not submissive. Proposals involving economic incentives – including energy cooperation – were not unilateral concessions but calculated compromises designed to structure a politically survivable agreement in Washington. The core objective was clear: constrain Iran’s nuclear programme through enforceable limits and intrusive verification, thereby addressing the very proliferation risks that sanctions and threats of force were meant to prevent.

Talks had moved beyond rhetorical posturing toward concrete proposals. For the first time in years, there was credible movement toward stabilising the nuclear issue. By attacking during that negotiation window, Washington and its allies have not only derailed a diplomatic opening but have cast doubt on the durability of American commitments to negotiated solutions. The message to Tehran – and to other adversaries weighing diplomacy – is stark: even when talks appear to work, they can be overtaken by force.

Iran is not Iraq or Libya

Advocates of escalation often invoke Iraq in 2003 or Libya in 2011 as precedents for rapid regime collapse under pressure. Those analogies are misleading. Iraq and Libya were highly personalised systems, overly dependent on narrow patronage networks and individual rulers. Remove the centre, and the structure imploded.

Iran is structurally different. It is not a dynastic dictatorship but an ideologically entrenched state with layered institutions, doctrinal legitimacy and a deeply embedded security apparatus, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Its authority is intertwined with religious, political and strategic narratives cultivated over decades. It has endured sanctions, regional isolation and sustained external pressure without fracturing.

Even a previous US-Israeli campaign in 2025 that lasted 12 days failed to eliminate Tehran’s retaliatory capacity. Far from collapsing, the state absorbed pressure and responded. Hitting such a system with maximum force does not guarantee implosion; it may instead consolidate internal cohesion and reinforce narratives of external aggression that the leadership has long leveraged.

Read more: The US and Israel’s attack may have left Iran stronger

The mirage of regime change

Rhetoric surrounding the strikes has already shifted from tactical objectives to the language of regime change. US and Israeli leaders framed military action not solely as neutralising missile or nuclear capabilities, but as an opportunity for Iranians to overthrow their government. That calculus – regime change by force – is historically fraught with risk.

An incoming missile crashes into the sea off the port of Haifa in Israel as Iran retaliates.
An incoming missile crashes into the sea off the port of Haifa in Israel as Iran retaliates. AP Photo/Leo Correa

The Iraq invasion should be a cautionary tale. The US spent more than a decade cultivating multiple Iraqi opposition groups – yet dismantling the centralised state apparatus still produced chaos, insurgency and fragmentation. The vacuum gave rise to extremist organisations such as IS, drawing the US into years of renewed conflict.

Approaching Iran with similar assumptions ignores both its institutional resilience and the complexity of regional geopolitics. Sectarian divisions, entrenched alliances and proxy networks mean that destabilisation in Tehran would not remain contained. It could rapidly spill across borders and harden into prolonged confrontation.

A region wired for escalation

Iran has invested heavily in asymmetric capabilities precisely to deter and complicate external intervention. Its missile, drone and naval systems are embedded along the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint for global energy — and linked into a network of regional allies and militias.

In the current escalation, Tehran has already launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes against US military bases and allied territories in the Gulf, hitting locations in Iraq, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (including Abu Dhabi), Kuwait and Qatar in direct response to US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s cities, including Tehran, Qom and Isfahan. Explosions have been reported in Bahrain and the UAE, with at least one confirmed fatality in Abu Dhabi, and several bases housing US personnel have been struck or targeted, underscoring how the conflict has already spread beyond Iran’s borders

A full-scale regional war is now more likely than it was a week ago. Miscalculation could draw multiple states into conflict, inflame sectarian fault lines and disrupt global energy markets. What might have remained a contained nuclear dispute now risks expanding into a wider geopolitical confrontation.

What about Trump’s promise of no more forever wars?

Trump built his political brand opposing “endless wars” and criticising the Iraq invasion. “America First” promised strategic restraint, hard bargaining and an aversion to open-ended intervention. Escalating militarily at the very moment diplomacy was advancing sits uneasily with that doctrine and revives questions about the true objectives of US strategy in the Middle East.

Tehran skyline as missiles strike, February 28 2026.
Tehran and other Iranian cities have come under heavy bombardment from Israel and the US. AP Photo

If a workable nuclear framework was genuinely emerging, abandoning it in favour of escalation invites a deeper question: does sustained tension serve certain strategic preferences more comfortably than durable peace?

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago address announcing the strikes carried unmistakable echoes of George W. Bush before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Military action was framed as reluctant yet necessary – a pre-emptive move to eliminate gathering threats and secure peace through strength. The rhetoric of patience exhausted and danger confronted before it fully materialises closely mirrors the language Bush used to justify the march into Baghdad.

The parallel extends beyond tone. Bush cast the Iraq war as liberation as well as disarmament, promising Iraqis freedom from dictatorship. Trump similarly urged Iranians to reclaim their country, implicitly linking force to regime change. In Iraq, that fusion of shock and salvation produced not swift democratic renewal but prolonged instability. The assumption that military force can reorder political systems from the outside has already been tested – and its costs remain visible.

The central challenge now facing the US is not simply Iran’s military capability. It is credibility. Abandoning negotiations mid-course signals that diplomacy can be overridden by force even when progress is visible. That perception will resonate far beyond Tehran.

Peace was never guaranteed. It was limited and imperfect, focused primarily on nuclear constraints rather than human rights or regional proxy networks. But it was plausible – and closer than many assumed. Breaking the bridge while building it does more than halt a single agreement – it risks convincing both sides that negotiation itself is futile.

In that world, trust erodes, deterrence hardens and aggression – not agreement – becomes the default language of international power. What we are witnessing is yet another clear indication that the rules-based order has been consigned to the history books.

– ref. Iran has been attacked by US and Israel when peace was within reach – https://theconversation.com/iran-has-been-attacked-by-us-and-israel-when-peace-was-within-reach-277175

US-Israeli attack on Iran risks plunging the world into turmoil

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, Professor in Global Thought and Comparative Philosophies, Inaugural Co-Director of Centre for AI Futures, SOAS, University of London

The US and Israel have launched extensive, coordinated attacks on numerous targets across Iran, prompting retaliatory strikes in the region. Donald Trump neither tried to obtain Congressional approval, nor did he pursue a United Nations security council resolution ahead of these actions. And the attack has come in the middle of talks between Tehran and Washington.The facts are clear. This is an illegal war, both in terms of US law and international statutes.

The US president has repeatedly said that Iran can’t be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. The United Nations nuclear watchdog has reported that, because Iran has denied access to key sites hit during last year’s conflict, it cannot verify whether Iran has suspended all uranium enrichment or determine the current size and composition of its enriched uranium stockpile. However, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said after the latest round of talks that “good progress” was being made on a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

Now, from everything that the US president is saying, the goalposts have shifted from a nuclear deal to an attempt to force regime change.

So bombs are falling on various cities in Iran, family members are hiding, tragedies will inevitably happen and the innocent will suffer. This is the endpoint of a longstanding campaign by the US and Israeli right-wing to reshape the Middle East and the wider Muslim world at the barrel of a gun. This is yet another intervention in a long history of disastrous foreign moves that have destabilised the country since Britain and the Soviet Union deposed Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1941 and the CIA and MI6 orchestrated a coup to depose Iran’s democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, in 1953.

The consequences of this attack are likely to be dire for the region and the world. Already, Iran has retaliated by targeting US bases in Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and the first reports of casualties are emerging. Iran is unlikely to hold back. It’s clear that the Islamic Republic is viewing this as an existential threat.

Tehran will call on its allies in the region, the Houthis in Yemen, the Popular Mobilisation Forces in Iraq and Hezbollah in Lebanon which – despite being weakened over two years of attacks by Israel aided and abetted by the United States – have the capacity to expand the conflict throughout the region.

Iran has already indicated in recent drills with the Russian Navy that it may be capable of closing off the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-quarter of the world’s oil and one-third of its liquefied natural gas travel. As a consequence, oil prices will explode and the world economy will suffer.

Clash of civilisations

There is a cultural component to this war, too. Israel and the US are conducting this war during the month of Ramadan. Muslims all over the world are fasting. For billions of them, this is the month of spirituality, peace and solidarity. Images of Iranian Muslims being killed by Israeli and US bombs threaten to further a clash of civilisations narrative which pits the Judeo-Christian world against Islam.

Two men talk in front of a poster reading: If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.
Iran has threatened retaliation across the Middle East. EPA/Abedin Taherkenareh

Muslims in European capitals, together with anti-war activists, will see this war as a clear aggression on the part of the US and Israel. Global public opinion will not be easily swayed into the direction Trump and Netanyahu would like.

And it must be asked, what will the leaders in Moscow and Beijing be thinking as they watch this illegal war and what might this mean for Ukraine and Taiwan? Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are close to the government of Iran and will condemn this war. At the same time, they must feel emboldened to pursue their own agendas with military might.

So Trump and Netanyahu’s attack on Iran has the potential to plunge the world into deep crisis. Expect more refugees, more economic turmoil, more trauma, death and destruction. The only hope now is that cooler heads among world leaders can prevail to contain this conflict and to limit the actions of Trump and Netanyahu.

Diplomacy has to be prioritised. Attempting to force regime change by launching an illegal war is foolhardy. If Iran is further destabilised, the entire Middle East and beyond will be plunged into utter turmoil. From there the outcome for the whole world is dangerously uncertain.

– ref. US-Israeli attack on Iran risks plunging the world into turmoil – https://theconversation.com/us-israeli-attack-on-iran-risks-plunging-the-world-into-turmoil-276818

Filipino photojournalist Alex Baluyut: An extraordinary sense of truth in an ailing society

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OBITUARY: By Joel Paredes

Having known the Filipino photojournalist Alex Baluyut, who died yesterday aged 69, for nearly half a century, I feel that looking at his photos — how he documented the events that unfurled during his lifetime — reveals his own lifelong search for himself.

By documenting the rawest parts of human existence, including war, poverty, and the shifting tides of our history, he was reconciling his own place within those same struggles.

Whether on the frontlines of conflict in Mindanao or the troubled streets of Metro Manila, he wasn’t just looking for a story; he was searching for a sense of truth.

​I first knew Alex when he was a photographer for the Associated Press. In those days, film was expensive, but it was not a constraint for him.

Having the resources of a major agency gave him a distinct advantage over his colleagues. I noticed how he loved documenting every movement of a subject, while others were often content with a single “good shot” for the day’s coverage.

It surprised me when, after we were dismissed from the Times Journal for union work and were organising a new daily with the late Joe Burgos, Alex approached me and Chuchay Fernandez. He asked if he can join Pahayagang Malaya.

He didn’t focus on the economic difficulties of a struggling paper, but instead embraced the challenge of being part of the “Mosquito Press” during the darkest days of the Marcos martial law era, especially during the surge of outrage following the death of opposition leader Benigno Aquino.

The 2013 photography book Mysteries of Chance by Alex Baluyut and five other Filipino photographers. Image: Voices of Vision Publishing

​Risky coverage
Alex was not just focused on protest rallies, his main assignments then. Together, we planned risky coverage of the underground movement, which took us to dangerous locations, including Mindanao to cover the Moro secessionist rebellion.

During the 76-day war in Lanao del Sur, Alex was hesitant to leave even after we received reports of napalm bombing; he stayed until it became clear the site was impossible to reach.

On one occasion, we braved a torturous hike to reach a MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) camp on the border of Lanao and Maguindanao to take the first-ever photos of their forces in formation at their own campsite.

Even then, I noticed a shift in Alex’s mood. His adrenaline was fueled by a drive to expose the plight of the aggrieved, a mission that eventually brought us to the countryside to cover the communist insurgency.

His photos were not always meant for the newspapers; they were documenting the struggle so that people might understand it. Eventually, the pressure of witnessing the stark truths of an armed struggle took its toll on him.

​Interestingly, the photos Alex provided me from his documentation of the underground movement did not show the stark reality of a rebellion, but rather the communities where he was immersed.

He was the best man at my wedding, and my only lament was that he failed to document the ceremony. Instead, he handed me and Merci a photo of a smiling Mangyan — a rare subject given his usual themes.

He told me it was his way of wishing us a happy life.

Mobile kitchen project
Alex also sought to chart a life beyond photojournalism. Driven by his love for cooking, he and some friends set up a small beer garden on the sidewalks of Ermita, which sparked his adventures in the restaurant business.

It was no surprise then that he eventually devoted his remaining years to serving the needy during calamities, co-founding the Art Relief Mobile Kitchen with his wife, Precious.

The news of Alex’s passing from cirrhosis of the liver stunned me, especially knowing the impact our late colleague Tony Nieva had on both of us. Tony also succumbed to the dreaded illness.He was our mentor in the struggle for press freedom and in documenting the lives of the downtrodden.

After Tony passed away, I rarely saw and worked with Alex, except for a few commissioned book projects.

Although I monitored his journey through social media and felt a sense of guilt for not joining his new advocacy, I am grateful to have been part of the life of a man who sought the truth in our ailing society and worked, in his own way, to lift the spirits of the marginalised.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Papuan activist leader Wenda accuses Jakarta of ‘lying’ over shot down plane

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Asia Pacific Report

A West Papuan leader has accused the Indonesian government of lying over its operations and “masking” the military role of some civilian aircraft.

Disputing an Indonesian government statement about reported that TPNPB fired upon an aircraft in Boven Digoel, killing both the pilot and copilot, United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) interim president Benny Wenda said the aircraft was “not civilian”.

Wenda added that the Indonesian government was “tricking the world” about its military operations in West Papua.

“The Cessna plane the TPNPB [West Papua National Liberation Army] fired upon in Boven Digoel was not a civilian plane, as the police spokesman misleadingly stated, but part of a security operation,” Wenda said in a statement.

“Indonesia is again disguising their military activity as [civilian] activity. They are also willfully breaching the no-fly zones established by the TPNPB.”

The occupied conflict areas in which the Indonesian military TNI were “not permitted to fly” had been “clearly marked out by the TPNPB”.

“This is the same pattern Indonesia used in 1977, when Indonesia used a disguised civilian plane to bomb villages across the highlands and massacre thousands, including many members of my own family,” Wenda said.

Clear strategy
He added there was a clear strategy behind this — “Indonesia wants to avoid the attention that would be drawn by a large scale military buildup, so they mask their introduction of weapons and other military equipment and personnel”.

Wenda said they were effectively “using their own people as human shields”.

Indonesian soldiers and equipment next to a civilian aircraft. Image: ULMWP

Indonesian troops boarding a civilian aircraft in the West Papua Highlands. Image: ULMWP video screenshot APR

The TPNPB attacks took place on February 11, with the plane being downed and the pilot and co-pilot being killed.

A second attack took place in Mimika, near the Grasberg gold and copper mine, which has been the cause of so much West Papuan deaths over the past 40 years.

“Indonesia then immediately began operating their propaganda machine, claiming that the planes were simply engaged in civilian and medical supply distribution,” Wenda said.

“The truth is that these aircraft were involved in intelligence and security operations.

Media blackout
“Indonesia is only able to spread these lies and mislead the international community because of their six-decades long media blackout in West Papua.

“No journalists or NGOs are allowed to operate in our land. West Papua is a closed society, just like North Korea. I thank God we have civilian journalists to document their lies.”

By breaching these rules the military were inviting further attacks, Wenda said.

“We must always remember that the Indonesian military uses any armed action by West Papuans for their own gain, as a pretext for more militarisation, more displacement, and more deforestation and ecocide.”

Wenda said their aim was always to escalate the situation as a way of ethnically cleansing Papuans, forcing them to become refugees in their own land, and strengthening their colonial hold over West Papua.

“It isn’t a coincidence that in the week since this incident we have seen an escalation in Yahukimo, an Indonesia-occupied community health centre, and transformed it into a military post, displacing and traumatising local residents.”

Using hospitals and other health infrastructure for military means was a clear breach of international humanitarian law, Wenda said.

Normal for military
In West Papua such behaviour was normal for the military.

“In the same week in Puncak regency, Indonesian military personnel seized a school, preventing students from learning and putting ordinary people at risk of harm. Soldiers are posted in classrooms with guns.”

Wenda called on the Indonesian government to withdraw their troops from occupied West Papua, allow civilians to return home, cease using civilian vehicles as a cover for military action, and immediately facilitate a UN Human Rights visit to West Papua — as has been demanded by more than 110 UN Member states.

“Ultimately, Indonesia must come to the table to discuss a referendum,” Wenda said. “This is the only path to a peaceful solution in West Papua.”

An Indonesian Embassy spokesperson blamed the “armed criminal group”, an expression it  uses to describe resistance movement fighters.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Tenant wins $5000 payout after Kāinga Ora fails to act over machete threats

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The police had been called for three separate incidents at the property. 123RF

A woman’s 14-year-old grandson was nearly mowed down by her neighbour’s car, while her son was threatened with a machete.

Now an elderly Tongan woman has gone to the Tenancy Tribunal, after Kāinga Ora refused to terminate her tenancy, despite the woman living in “constant fear” of the family next door.

The woman, who has name suppression, had lived at the Kāinga Ora property since 2019.

A female tenant lives at another Kāinga Ora property next door with her male partner and their children.

According to a recently released decision, the woman claimed that, during the tenancy, abuse was constantly shouted out at her over the fence, her daughter and son had been challenged to fights, rubbish had been thrown over the fence, and loud music had been played for long periods into the night on a boombox being carried up and down the road.

She’d also been sworn at in her driveway, had rocks thrown at her and her family, and was harassed when she called the police.

The police had been called for three separate incidents – one on 4 February, 2024, when the male neighbour was reported as being hostile and shouting threats, while standing at the tenant’s front gate.

A second incident occurred on 2 March, 2024, when the male neighbour was reported as standing outside the tenant’s front gate, making threats, while holding a machete.

The most volatile experience came when they had threatened to kill her son with a machete on 10 June last year.

The son said the male neighbour was working in the garden with a shovel and a machete, and started to abuse him and his son, and threatened to kill them.

The man was charged with threatening to kill, but was convicted of a lesser charge in relation to the weapon.

The woman’s daughter also provided a written statement to the authority and gave evidence at the hearing about an incident in which her 14-year-old son was walking home from school, when the male tenant was returning home in a car.

She said the male tenant chased her son in the car, driving onto the grass verge, and that her son was only able to escape by hiding behind a boat situated on a grass verge. The police were called, but attended the next day.

‘Lives in constant fear’

The woman said she “lives in constant fear” of the neighbouring tenants and will often stay inside her home, because she is too afraid to venture outside. On occasion, she had stayed with her daughter, because she couldn’t cope with being at home.

She had health issues that impacted her mobility and sight, and recently had a stroke.

She and her son had reported the behaviour to Kāinga Ora numerous times during the tenancy, but their response had always been to tell her and her family to keep to themselves, and not engage with the neighbours.

She said she initially wanted the neighbour to move, so she could live in peace, but now that she had health issues, she wanted to leave the tenancy.

Kāinga Ora did not dispute that the tenant had reported ongoing issues with this tenancy, and was well aware of the tenant’s complaints of shouting, abuse and loud music.

It confirmed that the organisation had been notified of the three police incidents, but said the issue was complex, because on some occasions, there was aggression on both sides, including a physical altercation between the male neighbour and the tenant’s son, which resulted in an antisocial notice being issued to both.

Kāinga Ora said it had considered whether it could terminate the neighbour’s tenancy under section 55A of the Residential Tenancies Act (termination for assault), following the machete incident, but ultimately determined it could not do so, because the neighbouring tenant herself was not home and the male at the address was not a listed tenant, and had threatened this tenant’s son and not the tenant herself.

The organisation was also unable to apply to terminate the tenancy for antisocial behaviour, as there had not been three incidents within a 90-day period.

Tribunal adjudicator Melissa Allan said the tenant had been “left in a very difficult situation”.

“She has not felt free to move about her property, often remains inside, and has been subjected to unreasonable levels of noise, rubbish being thrown, screaming and yelling, and threats being made to her family members.

“The landlord should have filed an application to terminate the neighbouring tenancy. It is not necessary for criminal charges to be proven or even laid.

“The landlord only needed to prove, to the civil standard, that the tenant has been interfering with the reasonable pace, comfort and privacy of the tenant, and that the breach is of such a nature and of such an extent that it would be inequitable to refuse to make an order terminating the tenancy.”

By failing to take steps, the landlord had breached its obligations, she said.

Kāinga Ora was ordered to pay the tenant $5000 in compensation for breach of landlord’s obligations and was looking to transfer the tenant to a tenancy that is more suited to her current health needs.

* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.

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

Police continue to investigate after Papakura shooting leaves man in moderate condition

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A police car seen behind a cordon as officers attend an incident. RNZ

Police are following “strong lines of enquiry”, after an Auckland shooting on Saturday left a man with moderate injuries.

Officers were conducting patrols in the Clevedon Road area in the suburb of Papakura on Saturday morning, when they heard what was believed to be gunshots at about 11.20am.

A short time later, a man was transported to hospital in a moderate condition with a gunshot injury.

A police spokesperson said they were following “strong lines of inquiry” into what had occurred.

“Initial indications are that the victim and the offenders are known to each other, and there is no risk to the wider community.”

Officers, including the Armed Offenders Squad, had been conducting enquiries at a Grove Road address on Saturday afternoon, but no arrests were made.

Cordons that had been in place in Grove Road were stood down.

The spokesperson said Clevedon Road and Grove Road residents could expect to see a continued police presence on Saturday evening, as officers continued enquiries.

They asked that anyone with information that might assist their investigation contact them via 105.

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

Kiwi golfer Daniel Hillier storms into NZ Open lead at Millbrook

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Daniel Hillier plays a shot during the third round of the 105th New Zealand Open. Photosport

A stunning late surge has vaulted Kiwi Daniel Hillier to the top of the NZ Open leaderboard at Millbrook Resort, near Queenstown.

The Wellingtonian was four strokes off leader and fellow Kiwi Kerry Mountcastle, when he lined up to play the 14th hole.

He birdied that, followed up with another birdie, parred the 16th, eagled the 17th and birdied the last to finish with a seven-under-par 64 to be 18-under with a round to play.

Hillier has been a force on the European tour this year and is the highest-ranked player in the field this week. He was runner-up at the NZ Open in 2024.

Masterton golfer Mountcastle also hit a 64 and is tied for second with Australian Curtis Luck, who hit 63. They are a stroke behind Hillier.

Another Aussie, Lucas Herbert, went around in 62 and sits fourth, a further stroke back.

Hillier had played steady golf before his late surge.

“That was a crazy last few holes,” he said. “I didn’t have my best early on.

“It was one of those days and I had to stay patient. I knew there were a couple of par-fives I could take advantage of later in the piece.

“Thankfully, I could do that and it was pretty cool to get one at the last as well, in front of that massive crowd.”

Hillier, who has had two top-five finishes on the DP World Tour already this year, is obviously keen to continue his good vein of form in the final round.

“Looking ahead to tomorrow, I would love a replay of that and some more,” he said. “Obviously, I have a job to do.

“I will rest up tonight and have a good sleep, and come out firing.”

Mountcastle could have had the outright lead had he birdied the final hole, but he dropped a stroke, after his tee shot landed in the water.

New Zealander Kerry Mountcastle is tied for second after three rounds. Photosport

The 30-year-old rated his round, which included nine birdies, as “nine out of 10”.

“Everything was kind of firing,” he said. “I’m sort of not really thinking about what’s happening in the tournament.

“It’s just I’m out here trying to hit shot after shot and it’s kind of the first time when I’ve been up the top, where I’ve been this comfortable.

“Normally I’m always thinking about, “Oh, I need to do this or what’s going on about that?”

The overnight leader after the second round, New Zealand amateur teenager Yuki Miya hit a 70 for a share of fifth place at 13-under.

One of the world’s top players on the PGA Championship tour, Kiwi Steven Alker has a share of ninth place at 12-under. He and compatriot Sam Jones both scored 66 in the third round.

“Today was moving day and I wanted to be a little more aggressive, but tomorrow, I am going to need to be really aggressive to catch the guys in front,” Alker said.

“I am having a blast with ‘Goldie’ [former All Black Jeff Wilson] on the bag, and it’s been a lot of fun and great to be back in New Zealand playing again. That is the coolest part.”

South Korea’s Chan Choi matched the championship course record with a 10-under-par 61. After making the cut on the number, he is now in a share of eighth at 12-under.

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

‘We warned you,’ says Iran’s national security chief after Israel-US attacks

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Asia Pacific Report

“We warned you,” says Iran’s national security commission head after Israel-US missiles attacks on the capital Tehran and other cities.

Al Jazeera reports comments from Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the national security commission of the Iranian Parliament.

“We warned you!” he wrote on social media.

“Now you have started down a path which end is no longer in your control,” he added.

Explosions were also reported in the cities of Kermanshah, Lorestan, Tabriz, Isfahan and Karaj, according to local news media.

Al Jazeera’s chief US correspondent Alan Fisher reports that people were expecting that there may well be an attack by the United States.

US President Donald Trump had been talking about it.

‘Some US action expected’
“Most people expected some sort of United States action. So there is surprise that Israel has gone first.

“But there will be speculation here in the United States — inevitably — that this is [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu once again trying to force the United States to take action against Iran.

“And the reason he has done this is to try and force their hand.”

News media report US President Donald Trump as stating that the joint Israel-US attacks were aimed at “eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime”.

In an eight-minute video message shared on Truth Social, he said: “Short time ago, US military began major combat operation in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.”

Mehran Kamrava, director of the Iranian studies unit at the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies and professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, said Israel appeared to have “launched an attack designed to derail the [nuclear] negotiations” between the US and Iran. A new round of talks had been scheduled for next week.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Live: Super Rugby Pacific – Brumbies v Blues at GIO Stadium

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Photosport

The Blues play the high-flying Brumbies at GIO Staidum, after a high-scoring win over Western Froce last week.

Captain Daltan Papali’i will play his 100th Super Rugby game, as his side try to topple the top-of-the-table Brumbies in Canberra.

Kickoff is at 9.35pm.

Blues: 1. Ofa Tu’ungafasi. 2. Kurt Eklund. 3. Marcel Renata. 4. Laghlan McWhannell. 5. Sam Darry. 6. Anton Segner. 7. Dalton Papali’i (c) 8. Hoskins Sotutu. 9. Finlay Christie. 10. Stephen Perofeta. 11. Caleb Clarke. 12. Pita Ahki. 13. AJ Lam. 14. Cole Forbes. 15. Zarn Sullivan

Impact: 16. Bradley Slater. 17. Mason Tupaea. 18. Sam Matenga. 19. Josh Beehre. 20. Torian Barnes. 21. Taufa Funaki. 22. Xavi Taele. 23. Codemeru Vai.

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

Football: Auckland FC stun with A-League win over champions Melbourne City

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland FC’s Guillermo May scores against Melbourne City. Photosport

Auckland FC have kept the pressure on A-League men’s leaders Newcastle Jets with a stunning 3-0 home win over Melbourne City.

Logan Rogerson broke his goalscoring drought with a decisive blow to give the Aucklanders a 1-0 lead after 42 minutes, and Jesse Randall (59th minute) and Guillermo May (66th minute) followed up in the second half for a comprehensive victory.

The result narrowed the Jets’ competition lead to just one point, although the Newcastle side were playing Central Coast Mariners on Saturday night.

After a poor January, the Aucklanders have had a brilliant February, looking much more like the team won the Premiers Plate last season.

They delighted their fans with this performance, although it did come at a cost, with captain Hiroki Sakai leaving the field late in the first half with an injury to his right leg, after as series of heavy collisions.

He was replaced by Sam Cosgrove.

Rogerson had gone 16 matches without a goal this season, but he latched on to a cross from May, heading it into the back of the net.

He admitted after the match to some sleepless nights, because of the drought.

“I’m delighted to break my duck and get my first goal of the season,” he told the Sky Sports broadcast.

Randall hasn’t had such goalscoring blues and pounced to score his ninth for the season, after an error by City defender Harrison Delbridge. Randall now leads the competition in scoring.

May scored his goal, after heading in a cross from Randall.

Auckland FC host Perth Glory next Sunday.

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

IndyCar: Kiwi Scott Dixon unharmed after crash at St Petersburg Grand Prix practice

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Scott Dixon’s car after a nasty crash during practice in Florida. Twitter/Indycar

Kiwi motorsport ace Scott Dixon has emerged uninjured from a nasty crash during practice for the IndyCar St Petersburg Grand Prix in Florida.

During the first practice session – in which compatriot Scott McLaughlin had the fastest time – Dixon’s Ganassi Racing Honda slid across turn nine and collided head-first into a concrete barrier.

The car sustained heavy damage to the front, but Dixon emerged unhurt, but not before David Malukas just avoided contact with the stricken car, sneaking through a gap between the left barrier and Dixon’s left sidepod.

“Kind of a frustrating one,” Dixon said. “I got loose on entry and tried to save it, and then kind of got into an overcorrection.

“Luckily, it slid off a lot of the speed, before it hit the wall. Sometimes, you can tub a car and destroy them.

“Hopefully this isn’t too bad.”

The crash resulted in a red flag, one of three during the practice session.

Despite the damage, Dixon didn’t think he would need a back-up car for the opening Indycar race for the season, which starts at 7am Monday (NZT).

Scott Dixon has had at least one victory in 21 consecutive IndyCar seasons. PHOTOSPORT

“It actually looked fine,” said Dixon, who has had 21 consecutive IndyCar seasons with a victory.

“The rear was not bad. I think they’ll just have to change suspension, the front nose and front wing obviously, but then even the front suspension didn’t look that bad.

“It was kind of weird, so yeah, weird as in good weird.”

McLaughlin, who has had two previous pole starts at St Petersburg, had the quickest lap in 1m 1.1020s in his Team Penske Chevrolet on the 14-turn, temporary street circuit.

He led both the earlier portion of the 85-minute practice that contained all 25 cars and improved upon that time in the smaller session, after the field was divided into two groups.

“Decent first day,” McLaughlin said. “Obviously, being P1 is a great start.

“The DEX Imaging Chevy was straight away fast and felt good and comfortable. It’s good for us.

“It’s the start of a long season and it was nice to have a smooth session to start. We’ll keep pressing on and see how we go.”

Felix Rosenqvist was second overall and Florida native Kyle Kirkwood third.

Another New Zealander, Marcus Armstrong, was seventh.

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Live: Super Rugby Pacific – Chiefs v Crusaders at FMG Stadium Waikato

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Photosport

The Chiefs host the winless Crusaders in a rematch of last year’s Super Rugby Pacific final at FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday.

The hosts are coming off back-to-back wins over New Zealand opposition, while the their opponents have yet to taste victory.

Kickoff is at 7.05pm.

Chiefs: 1. Jared Proffit 2. Samisoni Taukei’aho 3. George Dyer 4. Josh Lord 5. Tupou Vaa’i (vc) 6. Simon Parker 7. Kaylum Boshier 8. Luke Jacobson (c) 9. Xavier Roe 10. Josh Jacomb 11. Leroy Carter 12. Quinn Tupaea (vc) 13. Daniel Rona 14. Emoni Narawa 15. Etene Nanai-Seturo

Impact: 16. Tyrone Thompson 17. Benet Kumeroa 18. Reuben O’Neill 19. Samipeni Finau 20. Wallace Sititi 21. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi 22. Tepaea Cook-Savage 23. Lalakai Foketi

Crusaders: 1. Tamaiti Williams. 2. George Bell. 3. Fletcher Newell. 4. Antonio Shalfoon. 5. Jamie Hannah. 6. Dom Gardiner. 7. Ethan Blackadder. 8. Christian Lio-Willie. 9. Noah Hotham. 10. Taha Kemara. 11. Sevu Reece. 12. David Havili (c) 13. Leicester Fainga’anuku. 14. Chay Fihaki. 15. Will Jordan

Impact: 16. Manumaua Letiu. 17. George Bower. 18. Seb Calder. 19. Tahlor Cahill. 20. Corey Kellow. 21. Louie Chapman. 22. James White. 23. Dallas McLeod.

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

Basketball: NZ Breakers part ways with head coach Petteri Koponen

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Breakers coach Petteri Koponen is leaving the club. Blake Armstrong/Photosport

NZ Breakers and head coach Petteri Koponen have parted ways, and the club will advertise globally for a replacement.

The Finn coached the Breakers for two seasons, with the side finishing ninth of the 10 teams last year, followed by seventh in the regular season just completed.

Koponen, 37, finished on a bright note, with a victory in the Ignite Cup over the Adelaide 36ers last Sunday.

After discussions with club management, he is leaving, with the club saying he didn’t seek a contract extension and was looking for new professional opportunities closer to Finland.

Koponen said he was after a new challenge.

“My time in New Zealand has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my career,” he said. “I fell in love with this country and the incredible community that supports the Breakers.

“However, after two seasons of intense growth in the NBL and the immense satisfaction of bringing the Ignite Cup to Auckland, I am ready for a new challenge.

“I want to thank the club, the players and the fans for embracing me. I am proud of the culture we’ve built and I leave with the highest respect for this club.”

The Breakers said Koponen had instilled a modern, high-intensity European style of play that culminated in the inaugural Ignite Cup victory.

“Petteri is a young coach on the rise and we support his desire to pursue opportunities closer to home,” said Breakers basketball operations president Dillon Boucher.

“Professional coaching at this level demands immense sacrifice, especially half a world away from home. We’ve reached a mutual agreement that the time is right for Petteri to pursue his next professional challenge.

“He departs with his mana higher than ever and will always hold a permanent place within our Breakers whānau.”

The club said it would look for a new coach capable of taking the Breakers to the top of the NBL rankings.

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The Detail: Home for granny, headache for homeowner

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Experts say that the real rule change is simply that when things go wrong, the burden of responsibility will be on the homeowner, not the council. 123rf

Rule changes for putting a granny flat on your section cut very little red tape, but move questions of liability from councils to homeowners

No garage conversions, no house extensions, no old materials or relocated cottages, no DIY practitioners, no mezzanine floors and no accessible showers.

And no building consent needed.

The government’s new rules for building a granny flat, or ‘minor standalone dwelling’, on your own property cut through one layer of paperwork and will likely save plans from being clogged up at council level, but they’re still complex, full of restrictions and just as expensive as they always were.

The real change these rules bring, say experts, is that when things go wrong, they shift the burden of responsibility from the council to homeowners.

Karel Boakes is the president of the Building Officials Institute of New Zealand, an organisation with around 1200 members who deal with building surveying, controls and regulations in both the private sector and in councils.

From what she’s seen in the month or so since the law came in, there’s been no rush to build these standalone dwellings – she says licensed building practitioners appear to be wary of shouldering the burden of responsibility for any failures.

“They’re concerned,” she says.

“They’re concerned for the homeowners and potentially the risks that they might be taking on if they choose to follow this route.”

“Obviously they’re not against efficiencies where they can be made. That’s common sense and we’re all on board with that. But we’re also trying to weigh up the level of risk that people could be exposed to if buildings are built in a way that’s not compliant or in a way that [poses problems] financially with insurance or what have you.”

Boakes says officials want to make sure people go into these processes with their eyes wide open, understanding the risks.

“There’s definitely a shift of liability.”

Before the regulation changed there was a level of surety in council checks, but we saw from the leaky building crisis that meant that councils were often the “last man standing” – the only organisation still around answering questions of liability when builders and developers went bust. Now the responsibility for any issues down the line falls on the homeowner, and those licensed building practitioners who supervised the job.

The only council responsibility comes right at the start of an application for a standalone dwelling when it issues a PIM – a Project Information Memorandum – which details information about the land or the project that they need to take account of, such as unstable land or flood plains.

“The council won’t be taking any liability any more in terms of assessing, or checking, or inspecting,” says Boakes.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has put out comprehensive information about the processes involved.

It says the granny flats building consent exemption allows small standalone dwellings of up to 70 square metres to be built without a building consent, if it has a simple design and meets the building code; homeowners notify the council before they start building and when they’re finished; the work is carried out or supervised by licensed building professionals; and all the exemption conditions are met.

You can download the seven forms required from the site, read the three checklists, five step-by-step guides and five fact sheets, and there are links to 12 professional groups that might be involved.

So there’s no excuse for winging it.

Bill McKay, a senior lecturer at the School of Architecture and Planning, University of Auckland, tells The Detail that when the rules came out, he was taken aback by the level of requirements – “all the things that you do and have to worry about”.

“One of the questions I’m mostly commonly asked is, ‘can I build it myself?’

“Short answer – absolutely not,” he says.

He says not having to get a building consent will save time, with the council unable to put off its issuing of a PIM. But a building consent is one thing – “you’ll still need building advice from someone who can draw up plans for you and that sort of thing. We might still need a resource consent, and this is a pitfall for lots of people.

“You can’t build just anywhere you want in your back yard. We have certain rules about minimum permeable and impermeable area so that rainfall will soak away, which is all good. And we have distances that we have to keep from neighbours … all that sort of thing as well.

“I think a lot of people will just sort of leap into it without doing their homework first and doing it properly, and that could get them in trouble from various angles.”

Then there’s the sting at the end – while it varies throughout the country, most councils will charge a development fee, and in some places that could be around $25,000. Your rates will go up too, having added another bathroom and more square metres to your estate.

Meanwhile McKay has picked out an aspect of the regulations he calls ‘ironic’ – even if your little house is for granny, you can’t have a recessed shower, where you could wheel in or get in without tripping over if you were unstable on your feet.

“The reason for that is, they haven’t developed a class of LBP who can do that.”

That means the supervisory aspect of the project couldn’t be met – so accessible showers are on the no-go list.

Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.

You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.

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

Red alert issued for Vanuatu province as Cyclone Urmil passes nearby

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Tropical cyclone Urmil near Vanuatu, 28 February 2026 Zoom Earth

Vanuatu’s national disaster management office has issued a red alert for TAFEA province as a tropical cyclone hovers near the province.

Tropical Cyclone Urmil formed southwest of Port Vila on Friday.

It has now been upgraded to a Category 2 according to the Fiji Meteorological Service.

“At 5am local time, 28 February, analysis put this cyclone at 20 degrees South, 169.9 degree East, and that is roughly south east of Tanna island in the TAFEA province,” according to the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazard Department’s Tropical Cyclone Supervisor, Jerry Timothy.

TAFEA province is made up of the islands of Tanna, Aneityum, Futuna, Erromango and Aniwa.

Timothy said the cyclone moved into the TAFEA province from the West, from the Western side of the island group, there.

“Most probably the first island, Erromango hasn’t that much of the cyclone, maybe to the west of the island, but Tanna, which is the island in the middle, the tropical cyclone came very close to the south of the island, moving to the south,” he said.

The latest cyclone warning bulletin from the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazard Department said damaging gale force winds of 90km/h will continue to affect Tafea Province today.

It said heavy rainfalls with flash flooding are expected over low lying areas and areas close to river banks, including coastal flooding over TAFEA today. Very rough seas with heavy to phenomenal swells are expected over the area mention above.

A marine strong wind warning is also current for central and southern waters of Vanuatu. High Seas wind warning is also current for all open waters of Vanuatu. People, including sea going vessels are advised to take precautions.

Jerry Timothy said people can expect wind gusts of up to 105km/h.

Communities on Tanna island were preparing for a night of heavy weather as Tropical cyclone Urmil passed close-by.

Mora Kapum of White Grass Ocean Resort in Lenakel told RNZ Pacific that there was heavy rain and strong winds last night, leading to some minor flooding.

She said there is no serious damage there but there is a lot of cleaning up today, and it’s still very windy.

Red alert

When a RED ALERT is issued, you need to stay in a safe shelter:

  • Stay tuned and informed through Radio, TV, SMS, or Internet
  • Turn off all gas and electricity and unplug all electrical items from the sockets
  • Stay in the strongest and safest part of your house or the evacuation centre and do not go outside
  • Stay away from doors and windows and keep them closed and locked
  • Remain indoors or in safe place and continue to listen to the radio and do not go outside until National Disaster Management Office issues the ‘ALL CLEAR’ after the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazard Department cancels the cyclone warning for your area.
  • Take care to avoid dangers caused by fallen powerlines, trees, damaged building and other debris
  • Support your family and neighbours especially the most vulnerable in your community

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

Sprinter Tommy Te Puni overcomes setbacks for national 200 metres record

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Tommy Te Puni races to a 100 metres behind Tiaan Whelpton at Sir Graeme Douglas International. David Rowland/Photosport

Two years have passed, but Tommy Te Puni finally has his name in the record books.

Last weekend, the Auckland speedster claimed the national 200 metres mark, when he tore around a bend – but not THE bend – at Christchurch’s Nga Puna Wai Sports Hub and crossed the finish line in 20.35s, slicing two-hundredths of a second off the previous standard.

“It means a lot,” he told RNZ. “Coming off a bit of bad luck and a lot of injuries, it’s pretty good to get one of those on the board.

“Being a New Zealand record, it’s special, not just for me, but for all the people who have supported me, like my family and especially my coach, who sets up all the programmes, and deals with the ups and downs just as much as me.

“I’m really happy, not just for myself, but for everyone else around me that have helped me along the way.”

In November 2023, Te Puni was the victim of a timing malfunction that some believe cost him the first sub-46-second 400m by a Kiwi male at a local club meet.

Since then, he has battled a variety of injuries that have stymied his hopes of ever reaching his potential – until now.

Ironically, one of those injuries seems to have played a part in his current run of form.

Te Puni, 23, broke his foot during a northern hemisphere campaign that included the World University Games in Germany, which delayed his return to the track until the new year.

Instead of running his best times before Christmas, then hitting a wall afterwards, he is only now reaching a peak at the business end of the season.

His performance at the International Track Meet came off the back of a series of quick times over the preceding month. A 10.36s 100m personal best at the Douglas International in Auckland was followed by a solid 10.40s/20.89s double into slight headwinds at Hamilton’s Porritt Classic.

“This was the first week I actually felt fresh,” he explained. “For me, it usually takes quite a few weeks to freshen up, so even leading into Porritt, I wasn’t really feeling that good.

“In New Zealand, it’s a big thing to run 20-point, but it didn’t feel that good. I was overstriding, and I didn’t feel that fresh, so we went back to the drawing board.”

Personal bests over 150m in training had him and coach Elena Brown believing something special was near.

“We were thinking high 20.4s was what I was showing, so 20.35 was a pleasant surprise.”

Te Puni tuned up for his record run with a wind-assisted 10.26s 100m, although wind readings only told half the story. While winner Tiaan Whelpton clocked 10.01s with a 4.9m/s tailwind, four minutes before, the women supposedly ran into a 3.4m/s headwind.

In reality, the wind was a swirling side, so meet organisers switched the 200m start to take advantage of conditions around the bend. Three years ago, they did the same for Rosie Elliott, when she clocked a 22.81s national women’s record.

The maximum allowable tailwind for record purposes is 2.0 m/s. Te Puni’s 200m wind was 1.2 m/s.

“It’s a northwesterly, a true tailwind around the bend, but not helping you too much down the straight,” he said. “You come off the curve, you slingshot and just hold that momentum through to the finish line.

“The wind is coming from a direction that it doesn’t fully hit the wind metre, which is really good.”

[embedded content]

Te Puni’s achievement sets up the unique prospect of all three men’s sprint records falling in the same season.

Whelpton has now gone under the 100m standard twice with excessive winds, while clocking 10.10s – 0.02s outside the national mark – legally. He only needs the right wind to break the record and possibly crack 10 seconds.

Last season, Lex Revell-Lewis broke 46 seconds for the 400m (45.88s) and showed he was capable of faster still, when he clocked 10.36w/20.49s at Christchurch.

Six runners beat 10.50s over 100m at the ITM, albeit wind-assisted. In seventh, 14-year-old Vern Toaloamai-Holden recorded 10.67s.

Four runners beat 21.00 seconds over 200 metres, another slice of NZ sprinting history.

Why is NZ sprinting enjoying a resurgence?

“It’s a good question,” Te Puni mused. “I think it’s just a question of timing, when everyone’s around a similar point, but you also have trailblazers like Tiaan, trying to get that 9.99s.

“It’s inspiring for people, and you want to chase those top guys. When I ran the 200m, they’re all chasing me, but it’s not like there’s someone who’s clear and above everyone else that you lose motivation.

“There’s a bit of luck with the depth, and everyone wants to beat each other.”

For their part, meet organisers have done their best to provide optimal conditions for performances.

“I’m sure all athletes will agree with me, but when you turn up to a race and there’s no hope of them flipping the track, and you have to run into a three-metre headwind… that’s not much fun.

“If they flip the track and the wind’s blowing at three, but I might get lucky, and get a 1.5 and new PB (personal best). Psychologically, that just gets you more amped up to race.

“They did it at Cooks [Whanganui], they did it at Sir Graeme [Douglas International], they did it at Christchurch… I’m pretty sure they’ll do it for the 100s and hopefully 200s at nationals.”

A community initiative to promote national relay teams has also created a collective approach to what was previously an individual sport, while fostering competition within the squad.

Early attempts at a men’s 4x100m record have seen Te Puni miss out on the top foursome, but current form may force a selection rethink.

“It gives a lot of athletes more opportunity to potentially get onto that world stage, but it also ties into wanting to be in that team and getting that spot,” he said. “The relays elevate the competition, because you don’t want that guy or that girl to get your spot, so you want to perform the best you can.”

Te Puni hasn’t contested the 400m this summer, but wouldn’t rule out another shot at that record in the future.

.

“We’re trying to work out where to get one in, but because I only really started running at the start of this month, there wasn’t really time to fit in a 400,” he said. “We were thinking about Sir Graeme Douglas, but stuck with the short sprints, because that was where my shape was at the moment.

“We’re keen to get one in March maybe. I’m not sure, but it would be nice to run another one, because my speed is at an all-time high at the moment and that typically bodes well for a quick 400.

“At the moment, it’s just 200, especially with nationals.”

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

Live: Super Rugby Pacific- Fijian Drua v Hurricanes at Churchill Park

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Photosport

The Hurricanes are looking to make it two from two against Pacific teams, as they head to Lautoka to play the Fijian Drua on Saturday afternoon.

Callum Harkin will start at first-five for the Wellington-based outfit, while the Drua are still chasing their first win of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

Kickoff is at 4.35pm.

Hurricanes: 1. Pouri Rakete-Stones 2. Asafo Aumua (vc) 3. Tevita Mafileo 4. Hugo Plummer 5. Warner Dearns 6. Devan Flanders 7. Peter Lakai 8. Brayden Iose 9. Cam Roigard 10. Callum Harkin 11. Fehi Fineanganofo 12. Jordie Barrett (c) 13. Billy Proctor 14. Bailyn Sullivan 15. Josh Moorby

Impact: 16. Jacob Devery 17. Xavier Numia 18. Siale Lauaki 19. Isaia Walker-Leawere 20. Brad Shields 21. Ereatara Enari 22. Lucas Cashmore (debut) 23. Ngane Punivai

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Defence in Whangārei murder trial closes, arguing Anaru Morunga had an ‘imaginative grip on reality’

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Anaru Morunga is on trial for the alleged murder of his ex-partner and the mother of his two children, Jasmaine Reihana. NZME/SUPPLED

Warning: This article discusses graphic violence and may be upsetting to some readers.

After two weeks of silence, the defence in a murder trial finally rose and shifted the focus from the brutality of an alleged act to the question of the accused’s state of mind.

As Anaru Morunga’s trial nears its end, today marked the first moment defence lawyer Arthur Fairley addressed the jury and reframed the case.

“We’re dealing with this man’s mind. Not your mind, not my mind … it’s what this man’s mind thinks,” Fairley said in his closing statement.

Morunga has been on trial in the High Court at Whangārei on eight charges, including murder, related to events surrounding the death of his ex-partner, 35-year-old Jasmaine Reihana.

The couple had two children together but separated in 2018. It was unclear what the status of their relationship was at the time of her death on 8 September, 2024, after they had attended a tangi together in Ōtorohanga.

For 10 days, the jury has heard evidence from multiple Crown witnesses, including forensic experts and police officers, about events that occurred across the days leading up to Reihana’s death.

The Crown alleges Morunga murdered Reihana by stabbing her at the Pouto peninsula home in Northland that he shared with his mother, Suzanne Morunga, and her partner Michael Jones.

He is also accused of arson after allegedly setting Reihana’s car alight with her body inside at the far end of the Ripirō Beach farm, before fleeing and leading police on a State Highway 12 chase that ended with his arrest near the Brynderwyn Hills.

Today, he changed his plea on two of the eight charges he has been defending, admitting charges related to unlawfully taking a tractor and quad bike owned by his boss, Chris Biddles.

On the other charges, Morunga has repeatedly acknowledged killing Reihana, telling police he cut her throat before placing her body in her car and towing it to the beach by tractor. He continues to deny that he was the one who set the vehicle alight.

That admission has not only been heard by the jury through his evidential interview with police played in court, but also when he chose to take the stand yesterday.

“I just walked over to her, grabbed her, pulled the knife out and cut her throat,” he said in his police interview recorded in September 2024.

But when he gave close to four hours of evidence yesterday, his narrative changed.

He claimed Reihana had a gun and he had to kill her to protect his family.

“I pulled, she pulled, I won,” he testified.

He then demonstrated for the court how he cut Reihana’s neck.

In Crown closings, prosecutor Bernadette O’Connor told the jury Morunga was making things up to fit the evidence that had been presented.

“Folding up the paper napkin so it resembled a knife. Not something he was asked to do, something he did of his own volition to demonstrate how he killed Ms Reihana,” O’Connor said.

“Claiming he didn’t mean for her to die. I submit that flies in the face of the evidence and flies in the face of common sense.

“He meant to kill her.”

O’Connor said there were eight pages of transcript of Morunga detailing the slaying, even saying he was good with knives and trained to kill animals humanely.

“He didn’t seem to afford that humane killing to Jasmaine Reihana,” O’Connor said.

She said the new story about a gun being present was “simply not true”.

“When I pointed out he has never mentioned it, he said ‘I was a very broken man then’,” O’Connor said.

“A broken man? Or a man who was relaxed, enjoying his moment in the spotlight?”

O’Connor said Morunga had made a “fantastical story” that Reihana was having an affair, she was going to kill his family and sell his children to the Mongrel Mob.

“He will come up with anything that he can to get away with murder.”

O’Connor said he was high on methamphetamine, and being under the influence of drugs was not a defence to murder.

“The fault for her murder lies solely and squarely at the feet of Anaru Morunga.”

During the trial, Morunga’s lawyer, Arthur Fairley, did not cross-examine many witnesses and did not give an opening statement to the jury.

Today, in his closing address to the jury, he began by acknowledging the overwhelming evidence presented at the trial.

“I would suggest to you, members of the jury, there wouldn’t be a heart in this room that wouldn’t be tugged by that,” Fairley said.

“But in this room, in a trial like this, we’re not allowed to have our hearts tugged.”

Fairley said the key issue for determining the murder charge relied on establishing Morunga’s intent.

“The facts are, none of us were there,” Fairley submitted.

“He made some remarkable concessions for a man in a murder trial.

“Here’s the point. You might think the mind we’re dealing with at the material time had an imaginative grip of reality. But that’s the quality of the mind that has to be taken into account.”

Fairley submitted that Morunga had not uttered that he was going to kill Reihana before, during or after the act and therefore did not have murderous intent.

“Isolate what the issues are and try to give some analysis,” Morunga said.

“On the murder, they can’t make you sure what was in this man’s head at the material time.

“If they can’t make you sure, he’s not guilty of murder; it’s manslaughter.”

The jury was released for the weekend and will return on Monday for Justice David Johnstone’s summation of the case.

They will then retire to consider the verdicts.

* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.

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

Watch: Rocket Lab blasts off on hypersonic mission for US Department of War

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Source: Radio New Zealand

‘That’s Not A Knife’ on the launch pad at LC-2. Supplied / Rocket Lab

New Zealand-founded company Rocket Lab has successfully launched its latest space mission for the US Department of War.

The HASTE rocket, called ‘That’s Not A Knife’, lifted off from Wallops Island in Virginia in the US at 1pm on Saturday (NZ time) from Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.

[embedded content]

It was Rocket Lab’s second successful launch of a hypersonic test mission for the US Department of War’s Defense Innovation Unit, and the seventh HASTE rocket launch overall. Rocket Lab said all HASTE missions to date have achieved 100 percent success.

The launch was the company’s third of the year and its 82nd overall.

HASTE stands for hypersonic accelerator suborbital test electron, and is a suborbital testbed launch vehicle.

Suborbital missions enter space but don’t stay there.

The mission deployed DART AE, a scramjet-powered aircraft developed by Australian aerospace engineering firm Hypersonix, into a suborbital hypersonic flight environment at several times the speed of sound.

‘That’s Not A Knife’ mission payload. Supplied / Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab said the work was supporting a critical national priority to advance hypersonic technology for the United States and its allies.

Rocket Lab’s vice president of global launch services, Brian Rogers, said the launch was another proud moment for the HASTE team and a great showcase of the important commercial platform it has become for the Department of War.

‘That’s Not A Knife’ on the launch pad at LC-2. Supplied / Rocket Lab

“Regular and reliable HASTE launches are helping to accelerate hypersonic readiness for the nation, and we take pride in providing the foundation to a new era of testing of this critical technology to protect the United States space security,” said Rogers.

Hypersonix chief executive Matt Hill said successfully flying DART AE in a real hypersonic environment marked a major milestone for the company’s flight test programme and moved it closer to delivering reusable hypersonic capability.

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ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for February 28, 2026

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ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on February 28, 2026.

Cuban ambassador denounces US aggression and violations of international law
INTERVIEW: By Eugene Doyle This is a moment of great peril for the small Caribbean nation of Cuba. Nothing less than its sovereignty is on the line as the US drives its knee into the neck of 10 million Cubans by means of a crushing air and sea blockade and a set of secondary sanctions

Keith Rankin Analysis – New Zealand’s Fiscal Crisis
Analysis by Keith Rankin, 27 February 2026. I heard this on RNZ News 11am 12 Feb 2026: “The government’s finances are in better shape than expected due to lower [government] spending and a higher tax take. Treasury figures … show a deficit of $5.2b for the six months ended December, almost $1.6b below the half-year

Keith Rankin Essay – Vagrants and a Very Basic Universal Income
Essay by Keith Rankin, 25 February 2026. Over the last few days, there has been plenty of media chatter in relation to the government’s proposal to pass a law enabling police to forcibly shift street dwellers from Auckland’s CBD. (Refer ‘Move On’ orders penalise those with the least, Scoop 22 Feb 2026.) While Labour likes

Keith Rankin Essay – Milano-Cortina, Pandemic Central
Essay by Keith Rankin, 20 February 2026. Imagine if the Olympic Games were currently being held in Wuhan, China. There would be widespread mentionings of it having been the starting place of the Covid19 pandemic, in December 2019. But pandemics (not ‘global pandemics’; pandemics are global by definition, as are world wars) have two places

Keith Rankin Analysis – Parliamentary Term Length; is New Zealand really an Outlier?
Analysis by Keith Rankin, 19 February 2026 The RNZ news bulletin of 10pm on 18 February stated: “New Zealand and Australia are outliers in having three-year parliamentary terms, with four or five year terms far more common … politicians have over the years expressed frustration at how much can be achieved in a three-year cycle.”

Local plumber Hannah Spencer beats both Reform and Labour to win UK byelection
Novara Media In a spectacular triumph, Britain’s Green Party has won the Gorton and Denton byelection in Greater Manchester. Local plumber Hannah Spencer has now become the party’s fifth MP — a historic victory for the ascendent Greens, who ran a campaign of national hope and international solidarity against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The byelection

Amnesty slams global impunity fueling Israel’s illegal West Bank annexation measures
Amnesty International Amnesty International has condemned Israeli authorities over unleashing a series of unlawful measures deliberately designed to dispossess Palestinians in the occupied West Bank — including East Jerusalem — and to make the annexation of the territory an irreversible reality. These decisions since December 2025 represent an unprecedented escalation – in scale and speed

Woolworths’ AI agent rambled about its ‘mother’. It’s a sign of deeper problems with the tech rollout
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Uri Gal, Professor in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney Recently some Australian shoppers got more than they bargained for when they chatted with Woolworths’ artificial intelligence (AI) assistant, Olive. Instead of sticking to groceries, recipes and basket suggestions, Olive reportedly produced strange, overly human-like responses. It

Why Commonwealth Bank’s $1 billion suspected loan fraud should change how we bank and do business
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Toby Walsh, Professor of AI, Research Group Leader, UNSW Sydney The Commonwealth Bank reportedly suspects around A$1 billion in home loans were obtained fraudulently, including through AI-generated documents. The Australian Financial Review says the bank has reported itself to police and the corporate watchdog to investigate. According

What is Aspergillus, the fungus behind recent hospital deaths?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University A common mould has killed two people, and left four others seriously ill, at one of Sydney’s largest hospitals. Health authorities are investigating a cluster of fungal infections at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital’s transplant unit. Six patients

Home ground disadvantage? How sleep and travel could impact the Matildas
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michele Lastella, Senior Lecturer, CQUniversity Australia On paper, the Matildas should have a major advantage playing on home soil for the upcoming Women’s Asian Cup. However, from a sleep and travel perspective, they may be fighting a hidden disadvantage despite Australia hosting the tournament, which runs from

View from The Hill: Ley formally resigns, tells Taylor it’s ‘vital’ he holds Farrer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Deposed Liberal leader Sussan Ley formally resigned from parliament on Friday – and sent a blunt challenge to her successor, Angus Taylor, in her farewell statement. Speaker Milton Dick will now set the date for the byelection in the regional

NSW’s new rapid response police unit may help some people feel safer, but it also raises difficult questions
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Poe, Associate Professor of Social and Political Thought, Australian Catholic University The New South Wales government has just announced the launch of a new, permanent rapid response police unit. Composed of about 250 officers and 28 administrative staff, the unit will be equipped with a fleet

Ed Sheeran caught the train to Melbourne to protect the climate. But what about his thousands of fans?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne This week, images on social media showed global superstar Ed Sheeran alighting from the overnight train from Sydney into the decidedly utilitarian surrounds of Southern Cross Station in Melbourne. In Australia

ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for February 27, 2026
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on February 27, 2026.

Can New Zealand economy recover if house prices don’t?

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Most forecasts expect house prices to rise less than 5 percent this year. RNZ / REECE BAKER

New Zealand’s economy is expected to continue to slowly recover this year.

But unlike previous recoveries, this time, it’s not likely to be dragged up by rising house prices. Most forecasts are for prices to rise less than 5 percent this year – and some forecasters expect half that.

Michael Gordon, a senior economist at Westpac, has issued a new report looking at whether the economy can have a sustained recovery without help from rising house prices making people feel wealthier.

He said he had encountered scepticism about whether it was possible. But he said, in part, it was already happening.

“Retail spending has consistently risen over the last five quarters, at a time when house prices were effectively flat. But it’s not certain that this can be maintained in the face of what are some still-subdued house price expectations for the year ahead.

“The recent economic literature points to a solution. There is growing support for the idea that what we observe as a ‘housing wealth effect’ is actually more of an income expectations effect, driving both spending and house prices higher.”

He said it had been clear in the past that when house prices were rising, people tended to be more willing to spend because they felt their house was “doing the saving for them”.

“We’ve noted in the past that there has historically been a strong relationship between housing wealth and household spending in New Zealand, and arguably stronger here than in other developed economies. But the relationship doesn’t hold all of the time, and especially not in more recent years, as Covid and the subsequent policy responses have led to significant volatility in both house prices and consumption.”

He said even in the absence of house prices lifting in many parts of the country, lower interest rates were having a difference in the economy. Retail sales volumes rose 0.9 percent in December, more than had been expected.

He said there was growing evidence that when people expected their incomes to rise in future they tended to both spend more money and to push house prices higher.

“The magnitude of the effect on house prices will depend on how responsive the supply side is – historically New Zealand’s housing supply has been fairly unresponsive, but there are signs that this is improving.

“All of this is not to say that housing wealth effects don’t exist. But their impact may be in amplifying the economic cycle, rather than being an essential driver of it. We feel that our household spending forecasts have been suitably tempered to match our view on house prices – spending growth of 3 percent to 4 percent over the year ahead is quite achievable in the early stages of a recovery, when the economy still has substantial spare capacity to be used up.”

Shamubeel Eaqub. Supplied

Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub said there had been regions that had experienced economic growth without house price growth.

“It’s true that we are very reliant on that channel to supercharge everything … the residential property mortgage market is such a big source of capital into any kind of investments that we make. If house prices are not increasing, we just have less capital to invest. And that’s including in businesses.

“That long tail of small businesses quite often relies on borrowing against the mortgage to be able to grow their businesses. That can be one of the constraints. It absolutely doesn’t go away but does it mean we can’t have any growth without it? I don’t think so. Does it mean we might have less growth or a less rapid recovery to a more dynamic state? Very likely.”

He said there had been economic growth before house prices boomed, and some of it was very strong.

“In fact, quite a lot of the economic growth we might have had post 2000 you might argue wasn’t actually very good quality… when I look at history and I look at our regions, there are periods of history where we’ve had economic growth without house prices running away from incomes. We’ve had economic growth in our provinces that haven’t always experienced high house prices.”

He said much of the downturn had been driven by the drop in disposable income available to households as the price of essentials rose.

But there is also a whole bunch of pent up demand to do things, whether it’s to do work on your homes, to replace things, replace the car, invest in your business, whatever. People have had plans that have been postponed. Recessions tend to be less about things being killed and more about things being postponed.

“The maintenance still has to be done. The expansion will still happen if you think the customers are there. And it’s that chicken and egg. What comes first? Certainly, I think right now what we’re seeing is there’s quite a lot of growth in the provinces… we’ve had pretty good news for sheep and beef farmers as well. When was the last time that happened?

“Wool prices have been pretty good this season so far. Dairy prices plus the payout from selling off our brands businesses. There’s a fair bit of money that’s going to be floating around. I think that might act as a bit of a catalyst. And of course, that reduction in interest rates.

“The big thing that’s going to be the catalyst here, I think, is whether or not banks are out lending. That’s probably the biggest unknown… not just for the price but the quantity of credit. It’s essential debt that supercharges the cycle.”

He said even though it felt like a grinding recession, some people were doing fine.

“It’s not like everybody is experiencing this equally. I think there is a risk in thinking that’s the case. There will be some people who have been waiting to make investments. They have the resources, they have the capital. They have the plans. They might decide now is a good time to make those investments.”

Sign up for Money with Susan Edmunds, a weekly newsletter covering all the things that affect how we make, spend and invest money.

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

Can New Zealand’s economy recover if house prices don’t?

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Most forecasts expect house prices to rise less than 5 percent this year. RNZ / REECE BAKER

New Zealand’s economy is expected to continue to slowly recover this year.

But unlike previous recoveries, this time, it’s not likely to be dragged up by rising house prices. Most forecasts are for prices to rise less than 5 percent this year – and some forecasters expect half that.

Michael Gordon, a senior economist at Westpac, has issued a new report looking at whether the economy can have a sustained recovery without help from rising house prices making people feel wealthier.

He said he had encountered scepticism about whether it was possible. But he said, in part, it was already happening.

“Retail spending has consistently risen over the last five quarters, at a time when house prices were effectively flat. But it’s not certain that this can be maintained in the face of what are some still-subdued house price expectations for the year ahead.

“The recent economic literature points to a solution. There is growing support for the idea that what we observe as a ‘housing wealth effect’ is actually more of an income expectations effect, driving both spending and house prices higher.”

He said it had been clear in the past that when house prices were rising, people tended to be more willing to spend because they felt their house was “doing the saving for them”.

“We’ve noted in the past that there has historically been a strong relationship between housing wealth and household spending in New Zealand, and arguably stronger here than in other developed economies. But the relationship doesn’t hold all of the time, and especially not in more recent years, as Covid and the subsequent policy responses have led to significant volatility in both house prices and consumption.”

He said even in the absence of house prices lifting in many parts of the country, lower interest rates were having a difference in the economy. Retail sales volumes rose 0.9 percent in December, more than had been expected.

He said there was growing evidence that when people expected their incomes to rise in future they tended to both spend more money and to push house prices higher.

“The magnitude of the effect on house prices will depend on how responsive the supply side is – historically New Zealand’s housing supply has been fairly unresponsive, but there are signs that this is improving.

“All of this is not to say that housing wealth effects don’t exist. But their impact may be in amplifying the economic cycle, rather than being an essential driver of it. We feel that our household spending forecasts have been suitably tempered to match our view on house prices – spending growth of 3 percent to 4 percent over the year ahead is quite achievable in the early stages of a recovery, when the economy still has substantial spare capacity to be used up.”

Shamubeel Eaqub. Supplied

Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub said there had been regions that had experienced economic growth without house price growth.

“It’s true that we are very reliant on that channel to supercharge everything … the residential property mortgage market is such a big source of capital into any kind of investments that we make. If house prices are not increasing, we just have less capital to invest. And that’s including in businesses.

“That long tail of small businesses quite often relies on borrowing against the mortgage to be able to grow their businesses. That can be one of the constraints. It absolutely doesn’t go away but does it mean we can’t have any growth without it? I don’t think so. Does it mean we might have less growth or a less rapid recovery to a more dynamic state? Very likely.”

He said there had been economic growth before house prices boomed, and some of it was very strong.

“In fact, quite a lot of the economic growth we might have had post 2000 you might argue wasn’t actually very good quality… when I look at history and I look at our regions, there are periods of history where we’ve had economic growth without house prices running away from incomes. We’ve had economic growth in our provinces that haven’t always experienced high house prices.”

He said much of the downturn had been driven by the drop in disposable income available to households as the price of essentials rose.

But there is also a whole bunch of pent up demand to do things, whether it’s to do work on your homes, to replace things, replace the car, invest in your business, whatever. People have had plans that have been postponed. Recessions tend to be less about things being killed and more about things being postponed.

“The maintenance still has to be done. The expansion will still happen if you think the customers are there. And it’s that chicken and egg. What comes first? Certainly, I think right now what we’re seeing is there’s quite a lot of growth in the provinces… we’ve had pretty good news for sheep and beef farmers as well. When was the last time that happened?

“Wool prices have been pretty good this season so far. Dairy prices plus the payout from selling off our brands businesses. There’s a fair bit of money that’s going to be floating around. I think that might act as a bit of a catalyst. And of course, that reduction in interest rates.

“The big thing that’s going to be the catalyst here, I think, is whether or not banks are out lending. That’s probably the biggest unknown… not just for the price but the quantity of credit. It’s essential debt that supercharges the cycle.”

He said even though it felt like a grinding recession, some people were doing fine.

“It’s not like everybody is experiencing this equally. I think there is a risk in thinking that’s the case. There will be some people who have been waiting to make investments. They have the resources, they have the capital. They have the plans. They might decide now is a good time to make those investments.”

Sign up for Money with Susan Edmunds, a weekly newsletter covering all the things that affect how we make, spend and invest money.

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

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