Should I take a fish oil supplement for my heart, joints or mood?

January 28, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary Bushell, Clinical Associate Professor in Pharmacy, University of Canberra

Fish oil, also known as omega-3, is one of the most popular dietary supplements. It’s often promoted to protect the heart, boost mood, reduce inflammation and support overall health.

But how much of this is backed by science, and when might fish oil supplements actually be worth taking?

A long history

People have been taking oils from fish for centuries.

Modern interest surged in the 1970s when scientists studying Inuit diets discovered omega-3 fatty acids and their heart-protective effects.

By the 1980s, fish oil capsules were being marketed as an easy way to get these healthy fats.

What’s in fish oil?

Fish oil comes from oily fish such as salmon, sardines, tuna, herring and mackerel. It’s rich in a special type of fat called omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), mainly EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

These omega-3s play an important role in how our cells function. Every cell in the body is surrounded by a thin, flexible layer called a cell membrane. This membrane works like a protective skin: it keeps the cell’s contents safe, controls what moves in and out, and helps cells communicate with one another.

Omega-3s don’t build the membrane itself, but they slot into it, becoming part of its structure. This helps the membrane stay fluid and flexible, allowing it to work more efficiently, especially in tissue that relies on fast, precise signalling, such as in the brain and eyes.

Because we can’t make enough omega-3s on our own, we need to get them from food or, sometimes, supplements.

How are fish oil supplements made?

After fish are caught, their tissues are cooked and pressed to release oil. This crude oil is purified and refined to remove impurities including heavy metals such as copper, iron and mercury.

During processing, the oil may be concentrated to boost its EPA and DHA content.

The purified oil is then encapsulated in soft gels or bottled as liquid oil.

Some supplements are further treated to reduce odour or the familiar “fishy” aftertaste.

Fish oil and heart health

Omega-3 fatty acids are best known for their role in heart health, particularly for lowering triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood that, when elevated, can increase the risk of heart disease.

A 2023 paper pooled 90 clinical trials with more than 72,000 participants and found a near linear relationship between dose and effect. That doesn’t mean “more is always better”, but higher doses tended to produce bigger improvements in heart-related risk factors.

It found you need more than 2 grams per day of EPA and DHA combined to meaningfully lower triglycerides (by 15 to 30%). This is most relevant for people with existing heart disease, high triglycerides, or obesity.

But it’s important to read the label. A “1,000 mg” fish oil capsule usually refers to the total oil weight of the oil, not the active omega-3 content. Most standard capsules contain only about 300 mg of combined EPA and DHA the rest is other fats.

At lower doses, changes in blood fats were modest. The same analysis suggested low-dose fish oil may even nudge LDL or “bad” cholesterol up slightly, while having only a small effect on triglycerides.

Fish oil capsules — At lower doses, any changes to heart health are modest.
Pixabay/Pixels

A 2018 trial tested a high-strength purified EPA product (4 grams per day) in people already taking statins to lower their cholesterol. Over five years, it prevented one major heart event (heart attack, stroke or urgent procedure) for every 21 people treated. However this was a prescription-only pharmaceutical-grade EPA, not a standard fish-oil capsule.

In Australia, fish oils are sold in pharmacies, health food stores and supermarkets. Some concentrated products are available as “practitioner-only” supplements via health professionals.

The same purified EPA used in the 2018 trial is now available in Australia as Vazkepa, a prescription-only medicine. It was added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in October 2024, making it more accessible for high-risk patients.

For otherwise healthy people, the evidence that standard fish oil supplements prevent heart attacks or strokes is much less convincing.

What about arthritis and joint pain?

Fish oil has mild anti-inflammatory effects.

In people with inflammatory arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis), omega-3s can reduce joint tenderness and morning stiffness.

These benefits, however, require higher consistent doses, usually around 2.7g of EPA and DHA per day. This is the equivalent of around nine standard 1,000mg fish oil capsules (containing 300 mg of EPA and DHA) daily for at least eight to 12 weeks.

Can fish oil improve mood?

Some studies suggest omega-3s, particularly those higher in EPA, can modestly reduce symptoms of clinical depression when taken alongside antidepressants.

A 2019 review of 26 trials (involving more than 2,000 people) found a small overall benefit, mainly for EPA-rich formulations at doses up to about 1 gram per day. DHA-only products didn’t show clear effects.

That doesn’t mean fish oil is a mood booster for everyone. For people without diagnosed depression, omega-3 supplements haven’t been shown to reliably lift mood or prevent depression.

How much can you take?

For most people, fish oil is safe.

Common side effects include a fishy aftertaste, mild nausea and diarrhoea. Taking capsules with food or choosing odourless or “de-fishified” products can help.

Prescription strength products such as Vazkepa (high-dose EPA) are also well tolerated, but they can slightly increase the risk of irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) and bleeding.

Up to 3 grams per day of combined EPA and DHA from supplements is generally considered safe for most adults.

Higher doses for specific medical conditions should be taken under medical supervision.

So, should you take it?

The Heart Foundation recommends Australians eat two to three serves of oily fish a week. This would provide 250–500 mg of EPA and DHA per day.

If you don’t eat fish, a fish oil supplement (or algal oil if you’re vegetarian or vegan) can help you meet your omega-3 needs.

If you have heart disease (with high triglycerides) or inflammatory arthritis, fish oil may offer extra benefits. But dose and product type matter, so speak with a health professional.

For most people, though, two or three serves of oily fish each week remain the simplest, safest and most nutritious way to get omega-3s.

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

– ref. Should I take a fish oil supplement for my heart, joints or mood? – https://theconversation.com/should-i-take-a-fish-oil-supplement-for-my-heart-joints-or-mood-267976

Swap muesli bars for homemade popcorn: 5 ways to pack a lower-waste lunch box

By The Conversation -

January 28, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neha Lalchandani, Research Fellow, Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Deakin University, Deakin University

If you pack school lunchboxes for your children, you’ll know it can sometimes feel like a real slog.

It needs to be easy to prepare, nutritious and something children will actually eat. On top of this, there is increasing awareness it should be friendly for the environment and not generate food and plastic waste.

As a 2021 OzHarvest report noted, Australian students throw away an estimated 5 million uneaten sandwiches, 3 million pieces of whole fruit and 3 million items of packaged foods each year.

As students return to school, here’s what schools and families can do to pack lower-waste lunches.

Our research

My colleagues and I have been researching what South Australian families put in lunchboxes and why.

In our 2025 study of 673 preschool and primary school lunchboxes, we found 53% of all packaged items in lunchboxes were single-use plastics, mostly from snacks. The most common packaged snack types were chips and muesli bars.

We found families tend to let children’s preferences drive what they pack – because if food comes home untouched, kids can go hungry or food may end up in the bin.

Parents also told us they tend to rely on packaged foods because they are busy and have little time to prepare school lunches.

It’s not that they don’t care about sustainability, but choosing familiar packaged items they know their children will definitely eat take priority.

How schools can make eating easier

Our research also found primary school eating times can be short – only around ten minutes at lunch – as children are keen to get out and play.

So schools should consider extending eating time to allow children to be more settled and eat more of what’s packed. This can mean less waste and fewer hungry moments later in the day. Other research shows longer seated time for eating means children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables.

Schools could also consider scheduling eating times after play. While teachers and parents may worry children will get too hungry, research suggests scheduling play before lunch can help children eat more of their meal, and more nutritious items too. This is because they arrive at lunch with a healthy appetite and less urgency to rush through eating.

Schools can also incorporate food and sustainability literacy into the curriculum, to help kids embrace healthier and less-packaged foods. Schools can also encourage more “nude food” (packaging-free) days, provide families with healthy, low-waste lunchbox suggestions and have recycling and compost bins handy in the playground.

How can you pack a low-waste lunchbox?

1. Talk to your child about what they like to eat at school and how much

This allows them to tell you what works for them at school – which may be different from at home. Invite them to pack the lunchboxes with you the night before school when there is more time.

This can build independence and encourages children to take more responsibility for what they eat at school. Perhaps if they have packed it and understand the work involved, they are more likely to eat it.

2. Substitute packaged snacks for alternatives

Try packing fruits that need no preparation. Also consider vegetable sticks and boiled eggs (you can prep them in a batch and store in the fridge).

You can make a batch of savoury muffins, home-made popcorn (chuck kernels in a brown paper bag and microwave) or your own portions of low-sugar yoghurt in reusable containers.

3. Stock up on reusable containers

There are lots of options to consider, including:

bento-style, compartmentalised lunchboxes are great for packing a variety of items and they can keep foods separate, preventing soggy snacks
small stackable tubs can be used for yoghurt, fruit chunks, boiled eggs and veggie sticks. Look for clear containers (so kids know what’s inside) with leak-resistant lids
reusable and washable fabric or silicone snack bags for sandwiches, crackers and other dry snacks like popcorn and mini muffins.

4. Avoid these items

Avoid cling film, plastic bags and foil. Also avoid supermarket snacks in individual plastic wrappers – such as popcorn or bars.

5. Make it manageable

We know preparing school lunchboxes can be demanding for families. So if you are going to make some changes, it’s OK to start small. You don’t need to prepare everything from scratch everyday. A starting point could be using more reusable containers and portioning bulk-bought foods.

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

– ref. Swap muesli bars for homemade popcorn: 5 ways to pack a lower-waste lunch box – https://theconversation.com/swap-muesli-bars-for-homemade-popcorn-5-ways-to-pack-a-lower-waste-lunch-box-273808

A new company tax mix has been proposed. We need to be careful how we assess it

By The Conversation -

January 28, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janine Dixon, Director, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University

Australia has a problem. Across the economy, business investment has been sluggish for the past decade, leaving policymakers reaching for solutions.

Weak business investment can leave the economy stuck in low gear, operating without enough equipment or technology and failing to meet its potential. It’s tempting to think that if investment could be revived, higher living standards would follow. But it is not that simple.

In a recent report on creating a more dynamic and resilient economy, Australia’s Productivity Commission proposed some big changes to the way businesses are taxed in Australia, including lowering the corporate tax rate for most businesses and introducing a unique new cash flow tax.

So, what exactly is the Productivity Commission proposing – and would it help boost business investment? And crucially, would it improve living standards for Australian people?

Lower tax rates – with a catch

Right now, there are two rates of company tax. Businesses with turnover of less than A$50 million a year are taxed at 25%. Larger businesses, with turnover of more than $50 million, face a 30% tax rate.

The proposed reform of the corporate tax system has two key elements. First, almost all businesses would be taxed at 20%. Very large corporations, with turnover above $1 billion, would face a rate of 28%.

Second, all businesses would pay a new 5% tax on their “net cash flow”. The government would collect less revenue through company tax, but it would get some of it back through the net cash flow tax. More on this later.

The profitability problem

The Productivity Commission is concerned about potentially profitable business ideas that become unprofitable when company taxes are taken into account.

For example, $1 million invested in building a restaurant might generate profits of $1.3 million over its lifetime, making it a profitable activity. But after paying 25% in corporate tax, or $325,000, the restaurant only generates $975,000 for the investor.

Knowing she will make a loss, the investor will decide not to make the investment.

A waiter working in a restaurant — Tax obligations may erode the profitability of certain investments.
Louis Hansel/Unsplash

Now, suppose the corporate tax rate was cut to 20%. Corporate tax paid by the restaurant would be $260,000, leaving $1.04 million for the investor. The investor sees she will make a positive return and decides to finance the restaurant. This argument is at the heart of the Productivity Commission’s recommendation to cut the rate of company tax.

In reality, the picture isn’t quite this simple. The investor must also account for the time value of money, various risks and opportunity cost, and the returns she could be making if she invested the money in other ways.

When calculating profits, the tax office includes depreciation as a cost. This deduction reduces the corporate tax bill significantly compared to our hypothetical example. Depreciation deductions are spread over many years so they are worth less than if the deduction on the whole investment was allowed up front. This is important when we talk about a cash flow tax later.

Foreign and domestic investors

Another complication is Australia’s unique dividend imputation system. If the investor lives in Australia, the tax the company has already paid on its profits is treated as if she paid it herself.

When she does her tax return, that company tax counts as a franking credit towards the income tax she owes on all her income. This means the investor is indifferent to the company tax rate because it works like an advance payment towards the personal tax she has to pay anyway.

If dividend imputation was available to everybody, the corporate tax system would be a very leaky bucket indeed – all the revenue it collected would be lost again when credited to the personal income tax paid by investors.

But a lot of the money invested in Australia comes from foreign investors. They don’t pay personal income taxes to the Australian government, so the company tax we collect from them stays in the bucket.

This is the key to making corporate income tax cuts have an impact. But it is also the reason we need to be careful about how we assess the success of the proposed policy.

With lower corporate taxes, foreign investors will likely invest more in Australia, leading to a larger economy. Our economic modelling at the Centre of Policy Studies, published in the Productivity Commission’s interim report, finds the economy (or GDP) will be larger by 0.2% in the long run. This sounds good – but there’s a catch.

When the Australian government collects less tax from foreign investors, Australia’s income falls. Our modelling finds gross national income will be smaller by 0.3% in the long run. The economy will be larger, but less of it will belong to us.

A new tax on cash flow

Alongside recommendations to cut the corporate tax rate, the Productivity Commission has proposed introducing a cash flow tax.

This is a relatively rare form of taxation used in only a few countries. Like corporate tax, a cash flow tax is levied on profits.

But the big difference is that a cash flow tax treats investment costs as an immediate tax deduction, rather than gradually depreciating the investment.

This is attractive because it does not change the incentive to invest. By treating the investment as one big tax deduction at the beginning of its life, an investment that is profitable in a tax-free world will also be profitable under a cash flow tax.

This means the government can collect tax revenue from companies without having a negative impact on investment.

Under a cash flow tax, highly profitable businesses will pay a relatively large amount of tax, while businesses that are just breaking even will pay very little. Unsurprisingly, lobbyists for big business have urged Treasurer Jim Chalmers to ignore the recommendation.

A company tax cut results in lower income for Australians, but adding a cash flow tax reverses these losses by collecting more revenue from foreign investors and multinational corporations. Our modelling finds this package would lead to gains in Australia’s gross national income of 0.4% in the long run. The Productivity Commission’s report now rests with the treasurer for consideration.

The Centre of Policy Studies at Victoria University was commissioned to conduct some of the economic modelling which is quoted in the Productivity Commission’s interim and final reports mentioned in this article.

– ref. A new company tax mix has been proposed. We need to be careful how we assess it – https://theconversation.com/a-new-company-tax-mix-has-been-proposed-we-need-to-be-careful-how-we-assess-it-273892

Isack Hadjar crash forces an end to F1 testing

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar Hadjar spun at turn 14 and hit the barriers. Eric Alonso

A crash involving new Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar ended testing early on day two of Formula 1’s Barcelona Shakedown.

Adverse weather meant just a couple of teams took part as they run their new 2026 cars.

Cars this year are smaller and lighter and no longer use the Drag Reduction System. Fifty percent of the power output will be from battery with the other half from the internal combustion engine.

New Zealand’s Liam Lawson did not take to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after completing 42 laps in his Racing Bulls car the previous day.

Ferrari were involved for the first time with Charles Leclerc running in the morning and Lewis Hamilton in the afternoon.

Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, who was promoted from Racing Bulls at the end of the 2025 season, also shared time in the new Red Bull car.

In wet conditions Hadjar spun at turn 14 and hit the barriers which prompted a red flag.

Kicking up the spray #F1 pic.twitter.com/8gGEEClE7k

— Formula 1 (@F1) January 27, 2026

The French-Algerian, who also ran on the first day, completed another 51 laps before his accident.

McLaren were expected to have their first run but did not take part.

Each team is permitted three days of running during the five-day ‘shakedown.

Williams had said they wouldn’t be involved this week, while Aston Martin is yet to confirm their involvement.

There is another three days of testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya before the teams head to Bahrain for two testing sessions ahead of the season opening Grand Prix in Australia in early March.

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

Wairau Valley regeneration has potential to become local treasure

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

By Jeremy Parkinson, First Up Producer

The Auckland Anniversary floods of January 2023 devastated much of the North Shore’s Wairau Valley. Particularly badly hit were the suburbs of Milford, Sunnynook, Forrest Hill, and Totara Vale. In Milford alone, 150 houses were classified as Category 3, land now considered to be too dangerous to live on.

Three years later, the community is working together to redesign the increasingly empty streets, and to turn the Wairau creek catchment into something that locals will treasure rather than fear.

Before the 1960s, flooding was common along Milford’s Nile Road. Two major floods, in 1928 and 1953, prompted the former Takapuna City Council to seek ways to tame the creek that drains the Wairau Valley.

A flooded property in January 2023. Supplied / Sean D’Souza

Longtime resident Sean D’Souza, who lives near Nile Road, said he understood much of the area “was always muddy, always filled with water”, before modern development.

In the mid-1960s, a network of concrete stormwater culverts was built to channel water parallel to Wairau Road. The system begins near the Northern Motorway north of Tristram Avenue and winds down through the valley toward Milford, where Wairau Creek meets its outlet near the shops two kilometres away. The construction appeared to solve flooding problems and opened the area to commercial and residential expansion.

On Auckland Anniversary Day 2023, the city endured a record deluge of around 245 millimetres in 24 hours. The Wairau culvert system from Target Road through to Milford was overwhelmed. Floodwaters surged through homes, businesses, and properties. Two men lost their lives, and more than 250 homes across the Wairau Valley and nearby suburbs were red or yellow stickered as unsafe.

Supplied / Sean D’Souza

By late 2025, over 150 properties in Milford had been purchased by Auckland Council. Roughly 45 Category 3 houses had already been removed or demolished, leaving wide stretches of cleared land where neighbourhoods once stood.

The Milford Residents Association, led by co-chair Debbie Dunsford, consulted locals about the future of the cleared areas.

“We’ve probably spoken to or engaged with about 500 people over some months last year, and quite a few themes have come out, and the big one is the idea of a blue-green network with paths and cycleway and little bits of park and community activities running alongside or close to the stream,” Dunsford said.

Locals envisioned an interconnected corridor that improved safety while enhancing the area’s liveability.

The scene three years ago. Supplied / Sean D’Souza

In a statement to First Up, Auckland Council’s group recovery manager, Mace Ward, said the approach was about recovery and redesign, not merely repair.

“What we’re doing in Milford is about making the area safer from future flooding and creating a place the community can enjoy and feel proud of,” he said.

Some of the Category 3 land was expected to become part of a blue-green network to allow water to flow more naturally during heavy rain, framed by public green spaces.

The Ngā Wairau Flood Resilience Project, the council’s long-term plan, would be delivered in phases. The first stage involves reshaping nearby parkland, which is currently the home to the Takapuna Golf Course, to store floodwaters diverted from the Wairau culvert system, reducing pressure on the main channel.

Work is due to begin in 2027, with funding in place both for phase one of the project and for the property removals in the Wairau catchment.

Supplied / Sean D’Souza

Uncertainty over future

For residents still living near the creek, uncertainty remained. Large tracts of bare land were now scattered through Milford and the valley. Some wondered if rebuilding could occur on higher ground once flood mitigation was complete, while others urged caution.

“Well, I hope there’s no building there, because if flooding happens again, something has to go higher. But if replacements are built at higher elevations, that makes sense,” said D’Souza.

He believed significant engineering work was needed to widen and strengthen the waterway. “If they don’t open it up or find more room for water to get through, it’s going to come onto properties. Water is unstoppable.”

Supplied / Sean D’Souza

Still, he favoured patience over haste. “It’s not going to flood every day, it’s not going to flood every year, I don’t see the need to rush through the decision making. But there needs to be clarity.”

The council still seemed to be figuring out what to do, he added.

Neighbouring resident Graeme Treeby agreed the future vision was promising, though funding remained uncertain. “I’m kind of more excited about perhaps the bolder plan of widening the creek, of having walkways and cycleways along there as far as it will go,” he said.

Despite some frustration about slow progress, optimism persisted that something positive could emerge from the devastation. Dunsford, representing the Milford Residents Association, believed the transformation could ultimately enhance local life.

“There will be an opportunity to have open space that the public can use on a daily basis and the sort of recreation of that stream, a naturalised stream we are hoping for and something that does become a local treasure.”

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

Rocket or arugula? How a salad vegetable mapped the Italian diaspora

By The Conversation -

January 28, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matt Absalom, Senior Lecturer in Italian Studies, The University of Melbourne

If you watch American cooking shows, you’ve likely experienced “salad confusion”. You see a chef preparing what looks like rocket, but they call it arugula.

It’s the same plant (Eruca sativa). It has the same peppery bite. So why do English speakers use two completely different names?

The answer isn’t just a quirk of translation. It is a linguistic fossil record revealing the history of Italian migration.

The name you use tells us less about the vegetable and more about who introduced you to it.

A Latin word with a double life

It all starts with the Latin word eruca.

Crucially, this term had a dual meaning. It referred to the vegetable, but also meant “caterpillar” – maybe because the plant’s hairy stems resembled the pests often found on brassicas.

As the Roman Empire faded and Vulgar Latin (the language of the vulgus, or the common people) evolved into the Romance languages, this single word split along two paths.

The Northern route: aristocratic ‘rocket’

As the word travelled north through Italy, it morphed from eruca into the Northern Italian diminutive ruchetta.

From there, it crossed the Alps into France, becoming roquette.

By the 16th century, French culinary influence was dominant in England. The first written record appears in 1530, in John Palsgrave’s text L’esclarcissement de la langue francoyse (Clarification of the French Language – said to be the first grammar of French for English speakers), translating roquette to “rocket”.

Image from an old book, drawings of 'garden rocket' and 'wild rocket'. — The 1597 version of John Gerard’s Herball, featuring rocket.
Missouri Botanical Garden, Peter H. Raven Library

By 1597, English botanist John Gerard was describing “garden rocket” in his large illustrated Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes, cementing it in the British lexicon.

This terminology travelled with the First Fleet. In Australia, “rocket” was a colonial staple, not a modern discovery. Planting guides in the Hobart Town Courier from 1836 list rocket alongside other brassicas, such as cress and mustard, as essential kitchen garden crops.

This is why people in Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand say “rocket”. For these speakers, the word followed an aristocratic, pre-industrial path.

Sepia photograph. A man stands in a well kept garden. — Kitchen gardens at the Coree homestead, New South Wales, in the 1890s.
Trove

The Southern route: migrant ‘arugula’

In the United States, the word “arugula” didn’t arrive in books; it arrived in pockets.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, millions of Italians emigrated to the US. This was a mass migration of the working class, predominantly from Southern regions like Calabria and Sicily.

These migrants spoke regional languages, erroneously called dialects, rather than Standard Italian.

In the South, eruca had evolved differently. We can trace this in historical dictionaries: Gerhard Rohlfs’ monumental Dictionary of the Three Calabrias (1932–39) records the local word as arùculu.

Similarly, Antonino Traina’s Sicilian-Italian dictionary (1868) lists the variant aruca.

When Italian immigrants established market gardens in New York, they sold the produce using their dialect forms. They weren’t selling the French roquette; they were selling the Calabrian arùculu.

A colourised photo of a crowded street with vegetable stalls. — The markets on Mulberry Street in New York City’s Little Italy, circa 1900.
Detroit Publishing Co/Library of Congress

Over many years, this solidified into the American English “arugula”.

For decades, arugula was an “ethnic” ingredient in the US, underscoring its origins as “an unruly weed that was foraged from the fields by the poor”. It wasn’t until a New York Times article on May 24 1960 that food editor Craig Claiborne introduced it to a wider audience.

Noting it “has more names than Joseph’s coat had colors”, he used the New York market term “arugula” alongside rocket in his recipes, inadvertently codifying it as the standard American name.

There is perhaps a sense that “arugula” might come from Spanish, given the influence of words like cilantro in American culinary terminology.

In Spanish, Latin eruca evolved into oruga which is uncannily similar to “arugula”. But, linguistically things are a little more complex.

While the Spanish word maintains the reference to the plant it also retains the Latin term’s double meaning: a salad vegetable and a caterpillar.

According to Bréal’s Law of Differentiation, named for the linguist Michel Bréal, languages detest absolute synonyms. If a word has two meanings, the language will intervene somehow. Indeed, today’s Spanish speakers prefer to call the plant rúcula. If you were to ask for an ensalada de oruga in Spain today, you’d probably get odd looks and, maybe, a caterpillar salad.

What about ‘rucola’?

So where does the word rucola – seen on menus in Rome today – fit in?

While the Anglosphere was splitting into rocket and arugula, Italy was undergoing its own linguistic unification. Standard Italian rucola is another diminutive which gradually won out over other regional variants.

Philologically, rucola represents a middle ground. Its rise in usage in Italy in the second half of the 20th Century eclipsed competing terms like rughetta, ruchetta or ruca.

Rucola now has international reverberations. The preferred term in Spanish is modelled on it, it appears in many other European languages and it is making inroads in the English lexicon.

From peasant weed to political symbol

By the 1990s in the US, the “peasant weed” had completed a remarkable social climb. It became a political shibboleth for the American “liberal elite” (most famously during Obama’s Arugula-gate in the 2008 presidential election campaign).

Meanwhile, in Australia, rocket popped up as the ubiquitous garnish of the cafe culture boom found on everything from pizza to smashed avo.

The divide is a reminder that language is rarely accidental. When an Australian orders “rocket,” they echo a 16th-century exchange with France. When an American orders “arugula”, they echo the voices of Southern Italian migrants in 1920s New York. And when someone uses “rucola” perhaps it’s a way of evoking Italy’s mythical, UNESCO-awarded gastronomy.

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

– ref. Rocket or arugula? How a salad vegetable mapped the Italian diaspora – https://theconversation.com/rocket-or-arugula-how-a-salad-vegetable-mapped-the-italian-diaspora-272059

Spain set to host 2030 World Cup final

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

World football’s ruling body has the final say on where the final will be played. AFP

Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) President Rafael Louzan has said that Spain will stage the final of the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Morocco wants to stage the game in Casablanca at the Grand Stade Hassan II, a huge stadium currently under construction north of the city.

“Spain has proven its organisational capacity over many years. It will be the leader of the 2030 World Cup and the final of that World Cup will be held here,” Louzan said late on Monday (local time) at an event organised by the Madrid Sports Press Association.

Louzan did not say whether the match would be played at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu or Barcelona’s Camp Nou, the two leading candidates.

Once completed in late 2028, the new stadium in Morocco is expected to hold 115,000 spectators. Morocco’s Royal Football Federation (FRMF) President Faouzi Lekjaa last year expressed his wish to see a final against Spain in Casablanca.

Louzan also alluded to the challenges Morocco faced during its hosting of the last Africa Cup of Nations, including the chaotic scenes during the final between Senegal and Morocco this month.

That match, which Senegal won 1-0, was overshadowed by fan disruptions and player protests that temporarily halted play.

“Morocco is really undergoing a transformation in every sense, with magnificent stadiums,” Louzan said.

“We must recognise what has been done well. But in the Africa Cup of Nations, we have seen scenes that damage the image of world football.”

FIFA and the Portuguese and Moroccan football federations have not responded to requests for comment on the final’s location.

FIFA told Reuters last year it was premature to decide the venue for the 2030 final, saying the host city for the 2026 World Cup final was revealed only two years before the tournament.

World football’s ruling body has the final say on where the match will be played.

-Reuters

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

NZ’s sodden January explained: what’s driven this month’s big wet?

By The Conversation -

January 28, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Renwick, Professor of Physical Geography (Climate Science), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

It has been a month of umbrellas rather than sunscreen across much of New Zealand, with persistent rain, low sunshine and deadly storms dominating headlines and daily life.

For many people, it has felt like midsummer never really arrived. Is it simply bad luck, or is there something more going on?

As with most aspects of our climate and weather, the answer isn’t straightforward. It reflects the interplay between New Zealand’s geography, warmer-than-average ocean temperatures, large-scale regional climate patterns and long-term global warming.

What the data shows – and why it’s been so wet

Climate observations back up what many New Zealanders have been feeling this month. Across northern regions in particular, sunshine hours have been well below average, while rainfall totals have been far above normal.

In central Auckland, a weather station in Albert Park had recorded around 244mm by January 27 – nearly three times the (1981–2010) average for the month. At Mount Maunganui, the month-to-date total had climbed to roughly 385mm, more than four times the norm.

The left map shows the 1991–2020 average for January rainfall across New Zealand. The right shows how much wetter than normal conditions have been this month, particularly across the upper North Island.
Earth Sciences New Zealand, CC BY-NC-ND

Similar patterns have been seen in many parts of the upper North Island, with repeated heavy rain events, high humidity and prolonged cloudy spells. The result has often been soggy soils, swollen rivers and increased risks of flooding and landslides.

While each storm that affects New Zealand is different, many of the systems visiting the country this summer share some common features. Several have originated in the tropics, subtropics or the north Tasman Sea before drifting south toward New Zealand. These systems typically carry warm, moisture-laden air – and the potential for intense rainfall.

When these moist air masses interact with cooler air from the south, or encounter New Zealand’s rugged topography, conditions become ripe for heavy rain.

As air is forced upwards over hills and mountain ranges – particularly along the Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, East Cape and Gisborne regions – moisture condenses rapidly, producing very high rainfall totals. This is why northern and eastern parts of the country so often bear the brunt of these subtropical events.

The regional patterns loading the dice

One background factor this summer has been the lingering influence of La Niña, part of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) system that dominates climate variability across the Pacific.

During La Niña, atmospheric pressure tends to be lower than normal over Australia and the north Tasman Sea, and higher than normal to the south and east of New Zealand. This effectively flips our usual weather pattern on its head, reducing westerly winds and increasing the frequency of easterly and northeasterly flows.

Those northeasterly winds draw warm, humid air from the subtropics toward New Zealand. Because our temperatures are highly sensitive to wind direction, even small shifts can have large effects.

La Niña also tends to be associated with warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures, which have again been observed around New Zealand. So, when northeasterly winds blow across these warmer waters, they pick up additional heat and moisture, further fuelling heavy rainfall potential.

Another background driver that constantly shapes New Zealand’s weather and climate is the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), which describes the north–south movement of the westerly wind belt that circles Antarctica.

A positive SAM phase, which has dominated much of this summer, tends to bring higher pressures over the South Island and southern New Zealand. This allows storms from the subtropics more room to drift south and linger near the North Island.

Climate change as an intensifier

Overlaying these regional drivers is the broader influence of climate change, which is steadily warming both the atmosphere and the oceans surrounding New Zealand.

As the planet heats, the atmosphere can hold more moisture – about 7% more water vapour for every 1°C of warming. This means that when storms do develop, they have more fuel available, increasing the potential for heavier rainfall and stronger winds.

Climate change does not cause individual weather systems, nor does it directly control large-scale climate patterns like ENSO or the SAM. But it acts as a powerful intensifier.

Event-attribution studies in New Zealand to date have shown climate change can increase the total rainfall from intense storms by around 10–20%.

But for the most intense downpours – when the atmospheric “sponge” is wrung out most vigorously – rainfall intensities can increase by as much as 30%, depending on the frame of time being looked at. These short, extreme bursts of rain are often what cause the greatest damage.

There are still important uncertainties. Scientists are actively researching whether climate change will alter the frequency or strength of La Niña and El Niño events, but so far there is no clear answer. The same is true for long-term trends in the Southern Annular Mode.

What we can say with confidence is that background warming is shifting the risk profile.

As global temperatures continue to rise, the kinds of extremes we’ve experienced this season are likely to become more common. The biggest unanswered question is how quickly we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit how severe these impacts ultimately become.

James Renwick receives funding from MBIE and the Marsden Fund for climate research.

– ref. NZ’s sodden January explained: what’s driven this month’s big wet? – https://theconversation.com/nzs-sodden-january-explained-whats-driven-this-months-big-wet-274416

Political parties respond to government funding for communities hit by severe weather

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi says the government’s $1 million to reimburse marae that provided welfare in response to severe weather events is “not enough”.

He said, “We don’t need money for a response, we need money for resilience, and our communities need it right now.”

The first day back at Parliament saw parties responding to the government’s announcement on Tuesday it would top up the Mayoral Relief Funds with $1.2m for immediate support to those communities affected, alongside $1m for marae.

Christopher Luxon praised support from marae as “exceptional”.

“They have provided shelter, food and care to people in need, and I cannot speak more highly of them.”

Finance Minister Nicola Willis said Te Puni Kokiri would coordinate with NEMA on distributing funds to marae, “often Te Puni Kokiri are the ones with the relationships on the ground”.

“But of course, in all of these responses, it’s a matter for council, marae and emergency response to work together.”

Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell also praised marae, saying they had stood up and provided support at “just about every event that I’ve been to”.

He said his emergency management bill that was in the house at the moment “actually formally codifies them having a seat at the table, because they are very good at emergency management”.

Luxon went on to say he and Mitchell had the privilege of visiting some of the marae in Northland over the weekend.

“I came away feeling incredibly proud and humbled by the manaakitanga shown by everyone there,” said Luxon.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at He Maimai Aroha on Monday after the Mount Maunganui landslide. RNZ/Nick Monro

But Waititi said it was “nice to be proud and humbled by it when you just visit for five minutes”, but those communities had “quite often” had to face severe weather and climate issues without plans to “build resilience”.

“It’s our little communities that are hit first.

“We’re the first to respond, but we’re the last to be given any type of resources,” Waititi said. He wanted the Prime Minister to reconsider “giving the right resourcing to the right communities”.

The recovery period would take “months and months and months” he said, “but we’re sick of response”.

“This has happened before. This is not an unprecedented issue anymore. It’s not one in 100 years. This is not once in a lifetime. These events are happening every year. We’re having these conversations every year.”

He pointed to Te Tai Rawhiti who were having to rebuild roads “all the time”, and marae there who had to respond all the time.

“But they’re responding on the smell of an oily rag.”

He acknowledged those who had lost their lives, “but how many more lives must we lose before we start looking at plans of resilience and not response?”

NZ First leader Winston Peters said Waititi had got up and “made a fool of himself”.

He said NZ First had given the most money to marae upgrades “because we know they’re sustainable institutions” and they demonstrated that during Covid-19 and the current crisis.

NZ First leader Winston Peters spoke at Rātana last week. RNZ / Pokere Paewai

His deputy leader Shane Jones brushed off questions about whether climate change was linked to last week’s storms.

Jones said he was not interested in a debate on climate politics but he was all about adaptation.

He had this response when asked if climate change played a part, “no – the volatility of the weather is something we must not take for granted, but taxing cows as they belch and emit from the rear end is something I’m totally disinterested in.”

Jones said he was the minister that found $200m for stopbanks from the Regional Infrastructure fund.

Labour’s Chris Hipkins also said marae should be valued “day in, day out, year round” not only in “times of tragedy”.

“Marae do amazing work when New Zealand’s faced with tragedy, when we’re faced with adverse situations.

“They throw their doors open. They welcome everybody.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Hipkins was broadly supportive of the government’s initial funding support, saying it was “clearly a start”.

“I recall when cyclone Gabrielle hit initial sums of money looked quite modest, and then we had to build from there.”

He didn’t want to rush and criticise the amount, “because it will take some time to identify exactly what support for rebuild and clean up is required”.

Luxon had outlined this during the post-cabinet media conference on Tuesday when announcing the package.

“The top up of Mayoral funds, which is a very tactical, practical, immediate piece of funding, that is not the ‘be all and end all’ here.”

Finance Minister Nicola Willis echoed this, saying the Mayoral Relief Fund was a “drop in the ocean”.

“Tthat’s just putting cash in local bank accounts to ensure that voluntary efforts aren’t stopped for lack of resource.”

Nicola Willis at the National Party caucus retreat on 21 January 2026. RNZ / Nathan McKinnon

Luxon indicated it was too early to say how much the total cost of recovery would be, but Gisborne District Mayor Rehette Stoltz told Checkpoint on Tuesday she estimated the damage caused to her region alone during last week’s storms will cost some $21.5 million to fix.

Willis said there was “hundreds of millions of dollars available across government for responding to this event”.

She gave the government policy statement on transport as an example, which specifically allocated funds for the rebuild of roads following natural disasters. There was $400m available for the rebuild of state highways and more then $300m for local roads.

The Greens also criticised the government’s $1.2m, questioning why the government had not implemented Civil Defense Payments, which was immediate relief and available under current legislation.

The Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick said the government was not doing enough – especially when it came to long term challenges.

She said the government had “knowingly and intentionally made decisions to make climate change worse”.

Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

“Climate change is not only devastating in terms of the loss of life that we see, but also in terms of exacerbating the cost of living crisis – so no, the government is not doing enough.”

The ACT leader said he was more in favour of climate funding going toward adaptation rather than mitigation.

David Seymour noted the government had spent “around a billion dollars on climate change adaptation”. He said the government had done deregulation work making it easier to “raise roads, to build drainage, to ensure that these things are less likely to happen”.

ACT leader David Seymour. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

“So are we there yet? Clearly not remotely close,” he said.

“But the government has done a major pivot away from really quite futile efforts to reduce global emissions towards practical improvements to what is on the ground in New Zealand.”

He said he didn’t want to “further politicise it” by pointing out who he thought was politicising it.

Hipkins said in response to whether mitigation or adaptation should be the focus, “we need to be able to do both”.

“The reality here is that without mitigation, the amount of money that we’d need to spend on adaptation would be unaffordable.”

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Ngāpuhi leaders challenge government over ‘rushed’ and ‘divisive’ Treaty settlement process

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Paul Goldsmith at the National Party caucus retreat, 21 January 2026.. RNZ / Nathan McKinnon

Ngāpuhi leaders are calling on the government to pause its Treaty settlement mandate process in Te Tai Tokerau, describing it as “divisive” and against the collective interests of hapū.

Ngāpuhi kaumātua and kuia say the process is moving too quickly and is not allowing enough time for hapū to reach collective decisions in line with tikanga.

Frances Goulton, a Ngāti Ruamahue kuia, said the mandate approach was causing harm within communities and reopening old wounds.

“This mandate process is driving wedges between our people,” she said.

“We’ve been here before with Tūhoronuku, and we rejected it then for good reason. It ignores our tikanga and pressures whānau and hapū to fall into line rather than taking the time to build real agreement. That is not the Ngāpuhi way.”

The Crown previously recognised Tūhoronuku as the mandated body to negotiate a Ngāpuhi settlement, but the model was widely opposed and later disbanded following legal challenges and hapū resistance.

Mike Smith, Tahawai kaumātua, said the current process mirrors that earlier approach.

“The Crown wants us to voluntarily extinguish our rangatiratanga now and into the future, that’s what this so-called settlement process is really about,” he told RNZ.

Smith said the historical context is critical to understanding the current tensions.

“Ngāpuhi has proved to be a rather tough nut to crack for the Crown in terms of a settlement. The Waitangi Tribunal two years ago ruled in our favour, confirming we have never surrendered our rangatiratanga authority,” he said.

“Yet the Crown embarked upon a tortuous 10-year process, Tūhoronuku, trying to cajole and manipulate tribes in the north into these extinguishing deals. We refused, and that process collapsed. It divided communities and caused acrimony.”

Now the Crown has returned with a new process, Smith said, seeking negotiators to sit across the table to finalise the settlement of treaty claims.

“They haven’t satisfied their own legal requirements to have a robust decision, but they’re still pushing forward with it.”

He described the current process as “fraudulent” and warned it risks dividing communities.

“People are jockeying for positions about who’s going to be the negotiators. But it doesn’t matter who the negotiators are going to be. You’re still not going to get anything,” he said.

“There’s very little around the edges to negotiate. What you really effectively want is some people who are going to sign the deal. That’s what you want. There’s no negotiation.”

Once agreements are signed, a post-settlement governance entity (PSGE) appointed by the Crown would receive any financial and commercial resources, leaving claimants and negotiators with little influence, Smith said.

“A lot of them have put their whole lives – it’s been a 50-year process. Many of the claimants have died, never seen the resolution of their claims. Their hapū, their whānau have endeavoured to carry that on,” he said.

“Now that it’s moving into this phase where the claimants are just shunted off over the horizon, many of them are trying to stay relevant in the game.”

Smith said the current process undermines tikanga and Māori unity.

“Ngāpuhi have consistently made clear that unity cannot be imposed. Settlement achieved through division, coercion, or exhaustion is not reconciliation – it is destabilisation,” he said.

He also criticised the lack of engagement from those facilitating the government’s process.

“We’ve recurrently requested all documentation to show evidence of engagement because they’re meant to be meeting with our people to convince them, but they haven’t,” Smith said.

“They’ve spent the last 12 months just having meetings with the Crown. So they’re not engaging with us. They’re engaging with the government, which is not a neutral process.”

Smith said the mandate process reflects broader political challenges facing Māori.

“We know that there’s a war on Māori. There’s a war on the Treaty. There’s a war on the environment,” he said.

He also questioned whether now was an appropriate time to negotiate with the current government.

“If we were going to settle with the government, do you think we ought to be settling with this government?” he said.

“They’d be the last ones to afford us any emoticon of justice.”

“Dark clouds loom over Waitangi”

As Waitangi Day approaches, Smith said Ngāpuhi are focussed on commemorating the vision of their tūpuna rather than celebrating government initiatives.

“If we had been getting things right, or at least moving in that direction, it would be a cause for celebration. But nobody up here is celebrating Waitangi,” he said.

“By continuing on its current path, the government risks entrenching conflict and doing lasting damage to relationships within Ngāpuhi and between Māori and the Crown.”

Smith said they are calling for a pause to the mandate process to allow whānau and hapū the time for genuine discussion and tikanga-based decision-making.

“Consent must be freely given and informed. Not manufactured through pressure, deadlines, or by treating silence as agreement,” Smith said.

“We want Treaty justice. We don’t want Treaty extinguishment, and that’s what we’re getting. We’re not getting the justice bit. We’re getting the extinguishment bit. Who does that suit? That suits the government. That doesn’t suit us.”

Smith said the current trajectory undermines decades of work and risks perpetuating grievances across generations.

“The light at the end of the tunnel is the Treaty extinguishment train, and it’s pulling into the station, and it’s just going to mow people down,” he said.

“It’s not only going to deprive the claimants and have no return to them. It’s a really abusive process, and it only benefits the government.”

Minister responds

Speaking to Media on Tuesday, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Paul Goldsmith said that when talking about a potential Ngāpuhi settlement, there is no surprise “there’s a wide variety of views.”

“Some who are implacably opposed to settling ever, and some who are fully in support.” he said.

“We’re just working our way through the process as carefully and constructively as we can.”

Goldsmith said as it stands, there are currently three or four different groupings across the North who are working their way through that process.

“We’re hoping to have more starting in the next little while. We’re seeing some momentum, so that’s good.”

However, Smith rejected this framing, arguing that it ignores hapū concerns and historical grievances.

“We’re not opposing settlement. We’re opposing extinguishment,” he said.

“We haven’t met anybody who said they don’t want to settle ever. We’re saying taihoa, just hang on a minute, put the brakes on. We need an independent review of what the government is doing so that we can hold that up to some type of standard.”

Smith said Ngāpuhi leaders will continue to advocate for processes that respect hapū autonomy and uphold the spirit and intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

“Ngāpuhi deserves a process that builds unity, respects hapū autonomy, and upholds the Treaty,” Smith said.

“Not another failed mandate imposed in the name of expediency.”

RNZ has approached the Minister for further comment.

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Rugby: Crusader Braydon Ennor set for French move

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Braydon Ennor arrived in Christchurch as an 18 year old, and spent the next decade establishing himself as one of the club’s most reliable midfielders. John Davidson / www.photosport.nz

Crusaders utility Braydon Ennor will move to France at the end of the Super Rugby season.

The nine-test All Black has signed with French side Perpignan, where he will link up with former Crusaders team-mate Sevu Reece.

Ennor said the decision came with a lot of emotions.

“I love this place and the people here, but I’m really excited for what’s next. I’ve done so much growing in this place, and I owe so much to the red and black jersey. I’ll always call this place home.”

Ennor joined the Crusaders Academy in 2015 after moving from Auckland on a scholarship.

He arrived in Christchurch as an 18 year old, and spent the next decade establishing himself as one of the club’s most reliable midfielders.

In 2018, he made his Crusaders debut and just one year later he would earn All Black selection.

“To be able to call this a job and turning up to Rugby Park every week with my mates to go to work, it’s the best thing in the world. This is a chapter I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.”

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

Hutt Valley bar managers step up security after spate of armed robberies

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

One offender was wearing a black beanie, a dark coloured sweatshirt, long pants, and a blue cloth covering their face. NZ Police

Bar managers say they are stepping up security after a series of armed robberies in the Hutt Valley.

Since December, three Hutt Valley bars have been targeted in similar ways and police say the crimes may be linked.

Police said in each robbery the offenders used weapons, including a firearm, to demand money and other items.

For the Hardware Bar & Restaurant in Stokes Valley, it made for a rough start to the year when it was targeted on New Years Day.

Duty manager Mohammad Usama said because of the public holiday, it was a quiet night and it was the only place that was open.

He said his colleague was the one to close the bar.

He said a man was “hiding himself in the bush” across the road waiting for his colleague to exit the building.

Usama said he was however on the phone with his colleague at the time as they were taking precautions after an earlier robbery, and the Police were quickly called.

He said his colleague did however experience some anxiety following the robbery.

That earlier robbery was at Quinn’s Post in Upper Hutt.

Duty manager Harmony Weherua said an offender was also waiting in the bushes as her colleague exited the building.

“He was pretty shaken up.”

She said it also made some other staff nervous.

Weherua said they were also in quite an isolated area, with rest homes on both sides.

She said staff now were continually looking out the windows.

They had also increased the number of staff at closing.

“We always make sure there’s two staff on now, ’till we all leave. Sometimes there’s four of us as well as the cook.”

The most recent robbery was at 7 Bar & Restaurant, just over two weeks ago.

Police said two people entered the bar with weapons, including a gun, and threatened employees.

After making various demands, the offenders then fled in a stolen vehicle which was later located on a nearby street.

7 Bar & Restaurant declined to comment.

Neighbouring Blend Bar & Bistro, which shared a back exit with the bar was also open that night.

Duty manager Faye Biascan said the robbery had made a lot of staff there nervous.

“We’ve been more tight with the security,” she said. “Like going outside, we always have to have someone else come with us. It’s been very scary.”

Upper Hutt mayor Peri Zee. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Last week Upper Hutt City Council held a community meeting alongside Police, where the community was able to talk through some areas of concern.

Upper Hutt mayor Peri Zee said the community indicated it would like to see more cameras around the city. She said that could be considered in upcoming budgets and planning.

“The police are doing a really good job,” she said. “We also have an awesome local community patrol who are well resourced with volunteers as well. So there’s lots of people working on this together.”

Meanwhile Police have released images of a ‘Nike Academy’ sweatshirt with distinctive white stripes and metallic coloured shoes with a reflective marking on the heel.

They would like to hear from anyone who may know someone who has worn items that match these.

The shoes one of the offenders wore. NZ Police

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Live: Cordons ease around Mt Maunganui landslide as search continues

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Follow the latest updates in RNZ’s blog

Crews continue to search for six people buried in a landslide at Mount Maunganui, while police say they will investigate whether there is any criminal liability.

A rāhui is in place at the site where six people – including two teenagers – were caught in the slip, which came down on the holiday camp.

Police say they [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/585156/police-say-they-did-not-attend-mt-maunganui-campground-over-disorder-call did not attend the campground after receiving a call about a disorder incident[ that referenced a potential landslip about three hours before a deadly landslide as it was unclear if the disorder resulted in any property damage.

The government is mulling an independent inquiry into the disaster.

For all the latest updates, check RNZ’s blog at the top of this page.

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Cost of living adding to problem of illicit meat consumption – charity

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

123rf

The ongoing high costs of living are prompting some families to turn to backyard killing of animals.

There’s also a claim that New Zealand’s food safety rules disproportionately affect Pasifika and other migrant communities.

Carolyn Press McKenzie from animal charity Helping You Help Animals (HUHA) says it’s noticed an increase in calls to rescue animals at risk of being slaughtered illegally.

Press McKenzie was responding to First Up‘s story on the sale of horse meat pies, which had been pulled from pie warmers after it was revealed the meat hadn’t been bought from a regulated abattoir. The pies had gone viral on social media, and were particularly popular with Pasifika communities.

Press McKenzie said HUHA was itself caught out after rehoming a pet cow.

“Somebody went through the process with us, we did home visits, passed the check, everything seemed very above board,” she told First Up. “The person was chatty and engaging, pretended to absolutely love the cow and then we found out they’d slaughtered it and eaten it.”

On another occasion police intervened when a wild goat had been hog tied and hung upside down from a tree.

Press McKenzie said it was also getting harder to rehome animals in the current economic climate. Feeding and caring for a pet was becoming a luxury many couldn’t afford.

“It’s pretty bad out there. There’s more animals being born into situations where they’re not being cared for correctly but shelters don’t have the homes to put them in.”

Meanwhile, Tongan community advocate Melino Maka said the recent decision by a Pakuranga bakery to withdraw its horse pies should not be seen as an isolated incident.

The former food safty regulator told First Up that it was not just a compliance issue, but a consequence of a system that no longer educated ethnic communities about food safety.

Maka was concerned Pasifika and other migrant communities weren’t being adequately warned of the dangers of eating non-regulated meat. He said MPI has cut community education programmes.

“Everything relies on online, and most of our community don’t get access to that information,” he said.

He agreed that the cost of living was exacerbating the situation as many households struggled.

“The reality of the cost of living is having a real impact on people affording meat for their own consumption.”

Maka said meat sold as pet food at flea markets was often bought by members of the community with the intent of feeding the family.

“The pet food companies, they target the Pacific community and I often engage with them and ask them to label the meat or even put food colouring on it just to make the people aware of what they’re buying, but they just play around on the fringes.”

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Ed Sheeran, Emilia Clarke spotted hanging out in Wellington

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two British stars have been quietly turning heads in Wellington.

Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke was spotted browsing blue cod at Lambton Quay’s Wellington Seamarket on Monday, telling staff she was in town filming a movie.

Teyenne Taana, who was working at the store when Clarke came in, says the actress told him she would be around for a bit, and he invited her back to try the shop’s fish and chips.

Clarke made her return to TV with spy series Ponies, now streaming on TVNZ+.

Meanwhile, Ed Sheeran surprised bar staff at Monsoon Poon by dropping in after officially wrapping the New Zealand leg of his Loop world tour.

Fresh from sold-out shows in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, the pop superstar kept things low-key. Restaurant and bar staff member Maddy O’Callaghan, who was on shift last night, says he signed a plate for the venue’s celebrity wall, left a tip, and charmed staff with his down-to-earth attitude.

“We were really taken aback when he was in Wellington. We were like, it would be so cool if he came. But obviously he didn’t last week and then [he did last night], yeah, it was very, very out of the blue,” she says.

“Everyone was very, very excited to see him. They were wanting to take photos and we were like, ‘no, no, no, let’s just leave him be’.”

His next tour stop will be Perth, Australia, on 31 January.

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

New Zealand prison rates at an all-time high

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Rising prison numbers put pressure on remand prisons like Mount Eden. RNZ/Calvin Samuel

With prison numbers at their highest ever and still rising, one former prisoner and critic of this government’s tough-on-crime policies has put his hope in a controversial programme.

As the prison population ticked over to a new record above 11,000 this month, one expert says controversial military-style academies are one of the best ways to keep troubled young men and women out of jail.

“I have never come away from anything to do with the justice system with more hope in my heart than I have when I visited the military-style academy,” says Paul Wood, a former prisoner who promotes rehabilitation programmes for men and women.

Wood is a critic of the current government’s prison policies and admits his stance on the academies, also known as boot camps, would surprise many people.

During the 12-month pilot academy, which ended last August, participants ran away, one was booted off the programme and another was killed in a car crash. Most of the 10 young men involved re-offended.

An ndependent report out late last year said the pilot contributed to “meaningful and positive change” but also said the cohort was too small to draw firm conclusions.

Wood, a convicted murderer who now has a PhD after starting his tertiary studies in prison, was on the advisory committee for the pilot programme. He is also an ambassador for other rehabilitation programmes.

“We have to be doing early intervention, we have to be identifying and supporting kids who are at risk of ending up exposed to the justice system once they’re teenagers. By the time people are in prison, by the time people are caught we have already missed the best, most useful opportunity to turn people around,” he says.

But his support of the academies comes with a big ‘but’.

The programme must be well-resourced, and right now the justice system and rehabilitation schemes are poorly funded, he says.

“When you use the term ‘boot camp’ that means a variety of different things but what we know is that the so-called boot camps that have a therapeutic focus as well as the discipline, those are actually really effective,” Wood says.

A system under pressure

The Detail looks at why the number of people in prison is now over 11,000 when earlier projections said that figure would not be reached until 2030.

Latest figures show there are 199 per 100,000 people in prison in Aotearoa, more than double Canada’s number and 29 more per 100,000 than Australia.

The coalition government’s tough-on-crime policies, including the reinstatement of three strikes legislation and sentencing changes, are factors in the sharp rise, says Wood.

“Can I just say this government is tough on crime, and unfortunately rehabilitation and reintegration.

“I do believe that they’re succeeding in terms of punishing people, that piece of the imprisonment experience, which is a legitimate part of what imprisonment is about, to punish you for misdeeds.

“But I think unfortunately they’re doing so at the expense of the capacity to rehabilitate and reintegrate people back into society.”

Criminal barrister Emma Priest says the record numbers affect the whole justice system.

Priest is also the convenor of the Law Association’s parole and prisoner rights committee and says it means prisoners on remand are being moved all the time to make way for more remand prisoners.

“We are really feeling it on the ground,” she says.

“They are literally playing Tetris trying to fit prisoners in beds.”

One of her clients is a teenager facing a serious criminal charge in Wairarapa, whose family lives further north and cannot afford to visit him in the youth facility. His trial date is set for mid-2028.

“That’s one very difficult and poignant example of how difficult it is for him.”

The teen is cut off from his family and Priest limits her visits to him to less frequent but extended meetings because of the cost to the taxpayer through legal aid.

“But his family are limited to phone calls,” she says.

“We’ve got these increased prison numbers but we also have real deficits in resource around the courts.”

Regions are worse off with court delays than the main cities which have high courts.

“There’s just a lot of flow on. So more prisoners mean you need more judges, you need more court rooms, you need more lawyers.”

Increased prisoners also puts pressure on programmes.

“People are just waiting for longer before they can start their substantive rehabilitation. And to be direct, until they’ve done their rehabilitation, they’re not going to get released on parole.

“They really need to do that criminogenic, substantive rehabilitation which allows them to come up with a safety and release plan, which allows the parole board to be satisfied that they don’t present an undue risk to the community and that allows them to be released safely.”

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What is Hyrox and why is everyone talking about it?

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

This story was first published in December 2024. The 2026 Hyrox Auckland competition begins Thursday, 29 January and runs until Sunday, 1 February.

A new mass sports event designed to test functional fitness and endurance has hit New Zealand, and all the fitness folks are amping up for it.

There’s space for young and old athletes and non-able-bodied competitors – and fans say it’s life-changing. So what the heck is Hyrox?

?

Mat Lock, the country manager for Hyrox across Australia and New Zealand, says it’s “the fitness competition for everybody”.

One of the eight legs of the Hyrox competition.

Supplied

“It’s designed to be accessible… the actual race is designed on the current of human movement. So run, push pull, jump, throw. That’s the most raw and pure version of functional fitness you can imagine.

Mat Lock, the country manager for Hyrox across Australia and New Zealand.

Supplied

“Hyrox is a blend of functional fitness and endurance. So it’s about 50 percent run and then the other 60 percent is made up of eight workstations.”

Competitors kick off with a 1000m SkiErg. The other stations are a 50m sled push, 50m sled pull, 80m burpee broad jump, 1000m row, 200m farmers carry, 100m lunges with a sandbag on your back, and finally 75-100 wall balls (throwing a heavy medicine ball at a wall). If that doesn’t sound challenging enough, there’s a one-kilometre run between each station.

It’s a staggered start, so a wave of competitors start slaying the SkiErg every 10 minutes. Lock reckons this “perpetual motion” takes the edge off for people who could feel self-conscious or suffer performance anxiety. On average, it takes about 90 minutes to sweat through the full event.

“You’re simply part of the whole thing… even if you’re doing it solo, It’s not like being on a stage with the spotlight on you.”

Where did it come from?

Hyrox originated in Hamburg, northern Germany, in 2017. Lock says its creator Christian Toetzke recognised that there are millions of people who go to the gym every single day but don’t have a contest to participate in.

Can you row 1000m solo, or would you be better as part of a pair or team?

Supplied

“Now, of course, it’s naturally attracting all sorts of athletes and people from other functional fitness-oriented brands such as CrossFit, but triathletes, runners, cyclists, swimmers, you name it.”

Races in the UK sell out 20,000 spots in a couple of hours. In the past 12 months, 430,000 people have done the race around the world. There have been 81 races across 26 countries, with more signing up every month.

In 2023 about 5000 people raced in two Hyrox competitions in Australia. This year there have been five races in Australia with more than 40,000 people crossing the finish line, lots of them Kiwis. Lock is confident that the 7400-place first New Zealand race, taking place over the first weekend in February 2025, will sell out.

Lock reckons part of the appeal is the fact it’s held indoors. It’s also deliberately designed to be more spectator-friendly than an event like a long-distance triathlon, for example.

“Festival vibe” – Hyrox has contenders always coming back for more.

Supplied

“You can get right up close and personal. You can be literally one metre away from your friends, your family members.

“It’s very much the festival vibe.”

Who is doing this thing – and why?

Lock says most competitors are just regular gym bunnies who are looking for a bigger goal to train for than looking good on the beach.

Some choose to slog the whole thing out solo – like Abbas Nazari, the owner of two BFT gyms in Wellington. His first Hyrox was last year in Sydney, where he managed to score third place in the 25 to 29-year-old age group, finishing the open category in 72 minutes.

Abbas Nazari doing the sled push at a Hyrox competition.

Supplied

“I had no idea what I was doing, to be honest, but I did really well and managed to get a podium in my age group and then I was just instantly hooked,” he says.

If that seems a bit too testing, entrants can compete as a double or in a relay with four people, which is “the lowest barrier to entry” – so each person would do a quarter of the race and two runs.

Lock says a lot of people start by being part of a relay but come back for more the next time.

“They do the relay, they love it, but then go, ‘Oh I reckon I could do this’.”

Once participants have nailed the open race they can test themselves in the pro division, which means heavier weights and puts them in the running to qualify for the world championship competitions.

In November 2023, on the back of his honeymoon in Japan, Nazari stopped by the Hong Kong comp, giving the pro level a go and scoring silver with a time of 68 minutes (his least favourite leg is the burpee broad jumps), which qualified him for the world championships in France that year.

Nazari is aiming for sub-60 minutes at the Auckland competition, though he’s already managed to clip his ticket to next year’s world championships in June in Chicago, along with two other members from his gym.

Kath’s story

Kath Williams hit an almighty slump when her husband died in an accident on the Manukau Harbour in October 2021.

In amongst the grief, she set up a BFT gym in south Auckland, working long hours to get it finished with the support of family and friends. She wasn’t getting enough sleep, was drinking too much booze and just not looking after herself.

Kath Williams competes in Sydney.

Supplied

“I had this bad cycle of bad health and grief and I probably felt like I aged 10 years within two years.”

She learned about the Hyrox competition in Australia and thought it was just the thing – “I needed something major to kick my ass”.

“I needed to be the walking, talking role model to my members and I’m gonna do this. I’m gonna do this because not because I think I can but because why, why can’t I?”

She quietly recruited a handful of members to train with her every Sunday for 12 weeks, eventually taking a crew of 11 over to the Sydney comp earlier this year.

“We had the best, the most amazing time. I want to describe it as exhilarating, a sense of accomplishment.

“So now I have purpose.

“You want to vomit [while competing] but it’s being around other people that have gone through the pain like you have. It’s being able to sit around and chat after the race about what you found difficult and what you really do, Yeah, it’s a vibe.”

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Why single people are feeling the financial crunch

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Households comprised of single people aged over 75 had the highest level of inflation. RNZ

Single older people are bearing the brunt of rising prices, and women may be particularly hard hit.

Data from last week’s CPI shows that over a five-year period, households comprised of single people aged over 75 had the highest level of inflation, up 27.2 percent, compared to a general rate of 25.3 percent.

Over two years, they had inflation of 7.8 percent compared to total inflation of 5.4 percent.

Those aged 70 to 74 had the next highest rate of inflation over five years, 1.8 percent higher than the overall level.

Over a two-year period, households of single people aged 65 to 69 had inflation of 6.3 percent.

Every age group of single people had a higher inflation rate than the overall rate over five years.

Economist Shamubeel Eaqub said it was because these households spent more of their money on essentials, which had experienced the biggest price increases.

“Inflation in recent years has been very focused on things like food, rates, insurance – those things take up more of the household budget.

“So the households who are spending more of their income on necessities have experienced more of it. The deflation was on things like buying TVs and stereos, stuff like that. Single older people aren’t buying many of those things.”

He said many of the costs of running a household were not reduced by only having one person in it.

“A single household is really expensive because you’re carrying all the rent, all the power, all those kinds of things that are more to do with the unit of house rather than the unit of people.”

One woman who contacted RNZ said she felt women were under more financial stress than their male counterparts. She estimated that having children had cost her $100,000 that would otherwise have gone into retirement savings.

“My brothers, in comparison, who did not take any time off to raise children, are much better off than me.

“Us women have given birth to and raised the generation of New Zealanders now in their 30s and 40s. We did this in the days before the widespread availability of full-time child-care by paid professionals.”

Eaqub agreed that older women were probably finding it tougher.

Women are reaching retirement with materially less in their KiwiSaver accounts than men.

Single person households spend more of their money on essentials, which had had experienced the biggest price increases, economist Shamubeel Eaqub said. 123rf / Warren Goldswain

Work by the Retirement Commission found that while there was not a lot of difference in how people aged over 65 felt about money, women were worse off. Just over half the women in its research had income below $30,000 a year compared to 42 percent of men.

It said women’s lower KiwiSaver savings were not because women were contributing less but because they earned less.

Older women were nearly twice as likely to live alone as men were and were reporting taking steps such as cutting down on food to save money.

Single older women were twice as likely to have experienced significant financial impacts due to the death of their spouse than men. Almost 40 percent of single women aged 65 to 74 said they did not feel at all confident about a financially comfortable retirement, compared to 25 percent of single men. But single women aged 75-plus were most likely to say they felt financially comfortable.

Eaqub said wage discrimination against women could compound over the lifetime to have an effect on their savings.

“Women, on average, earn less than men and take more time out of work. Time out of the workforce has quite a big impact on people’s lifetime incomes and lifetime savings.”

Liz Koh, from Enrich Retirement, said retirement was a struggle for women who were alone, or those in second relationships where finances were kept separate.

“It’s a well known fact that women earn around 10 percent less than men on average. This affects their KiwiSaver contributions and their ability to save. Women also have periods of time out of the workforce taking care of children and again, this impacts on retirement savings. Add to this the fact that women live longer than men, which means they need a higher level of retirement savings to avoid running out of money before the end of life.

“Women can be less confident investors, and a more conservative approach to investing can mean lower investment returns over the long term. On the other hand, women plan ahead and are receptive to receiving advice.

“There is a rather alarming trend, which is the number of women reaching retirement who do not own a home or who still have a mortgage. Separation and divorce combined with lower earning power are contributing factors to this situation. Owning a debt free home is essential for a comfortable retirement and those who are renting or still paying a mortgage struggle.”

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Brooke van Velden announces changes to hazardous substance rules for research labs

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden will change hazardous substance regulations for research laboratories, saying it will save the industry billions.

The labs would be able to develop their own risk management plans, a new code of practice would be developed, and some specific rules were being tweaked.

One researcher said the changes would make it much easier and cheaper for the sector, which he thought would support the new code of practice.

When the government changed the regulations for hazardous substances in 2017, rules for research labs – which had previously been separate – were lumped in with those for industrial labs including petrol refineries, food processors, and commercial cleaning and pesticide producers.

Van Velden told RNZ carve-outs for researchers were intended to be developed, but that never happened and some of the regulations were not well suited.

“It’s pretty clear there’s a big difference between people who have huge amounts of hazardous goods for … sale and production of goods versus people that have a lot of smaller portions of hazardous goods for research,” she said.

Victoria University of Wellington School of Chemical and Physical Sciences senior lecturer Mathew Anker said it was not that the rules for dangerous chemicals were being softened, but suited to the environment.

Victoria University of Wellington School of Chemical and Physical Sciences senior lecturer Mathew Anker. Supplied / Victoria University

For instance, the rules for handling ammonia made sense when using industrial quantities to treat milk.

“In a research lab we have 1000 chemicals, we don’t have 1000 sensors. Half the sensors we’d have to put in don’t exist … on top of that it’s at such a low volume that it won’t happen.

“We have huge amounts of ventilation, we have fume cupboards that suck away all those fumes … but that isn’t taken into account in the regulations.”

A Cabinet paper showed many research labs were now non-compliant with the rules because they were built under the previous requirements.

“The costs to rebuild these laboratories to comply would be extreme …. and overly restrictive, and may not improve safety,” the paper said.

Van Velden pointed to estimates from Universities New Zealand suggesting it would have cost between $1.5 billion and $3b to make the labs compliant if there was no change.

She said current rules specified that labs must be on the ground floor, but at a university it made more sense to have them on a higher floor so people could escape in case of a fire.

The regulator, WorkSafe, would work with the industry to develop a new Approved Code of Practice (ACOP), she said, clearly setting out obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act to solve problems like that.

“Industry experts as well as WorkSafe will be creating this tailored compliance pathway – it’s not going to be created by a minister that doesn’t have scientific background,” she said.

Cabinet on 2 December had also agreed to change some specific regulations:

Research labs would be able to manage handling, packaging and storage of hazardous substances through a risk management plan
Storage sites located nearby, which currently could face more stringent rules, would have the same regulations as labs
Researchers, who already had higher levels of training, would not need separate certification to handle hazardous substances
Lab managers would no longer need to be on site at all times, instead only required to be available to provide oversight
Instead of needing knowledge of all hazardous substances used, managers would only need knowledge of safety risks

Dr Anker said the research sector had been lobbying the government for eight years trying to get fit-for-purpose rules in place. 123RF

Dr Anker said research labs were operating safely, but compliance under the old rules was another question altogether.

For example, the university had spent more than three years and more than $1 million to move a device for purifying solvents without using heat or electricity because the regulations demanded it.

As a result, students now needed to walk through the hallways carrying solvent in glassware rather than simply moving around the lab.

“Two buildings across and three floors down, and that piece of equipment was being used 10, 20, 30 times a day … but we now have our students traipsing across two buildings and down the three floors to collect their very, very small volumes of solvent.”

WorkSafe had intervened, despite Fire and Emergency agreeing with the university about the safest way to do things, he said.

“The industry experts using the chemicals and the experts at putting the fires out from the chemicals agreed with each other, but the regulator disagreed with us.”

He said the research sector had been lobbying the government for eight years trying to get fit-for-purpose rules in place, and the result was a return to a pragmatic, risk-based approach.

He was confident creating their own risk management plans would be unlikely to lead to corner-cutting.

“The onus for responsibility for health and safety is on that person that’s trying to cut around the rules. Now, most people are not going to stick their neck out and say ‘I’m going to do something incredibly unsafe, just because I want to’,” he said.

“Second of all, when the lab managers build these risk assessments and all the rest of it, it has to go through a very thorough process.”

Such risk plans were already used in universities around the country, he said.

WSP Research national manager for research Wendy Turvey in a statement said the codes of practice and other tools agreed on were a pragmatic solution and would provide clearer settings for risk management while recognising the realities of research environments.

“WSP has had input through the working groups as the regulations were shaped, and we’re pleased with the final outcome. Just as importantly, the process has been strongly collaborative – involving MBIE, universities, WorkSafe, [public] research organisations and other independent research organisations and companies.”

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Voters split on who Labour should rule out as governing options

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Labour leader Chris Hipkins is getting little clarity from voters on which governing partners he should shut out. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Labour leader Chris Hipkins is getting little clarity from voters on which governing partners he should shut out, with a new poll showing the electorate divided on his post-election options.

Hipkins has so far refused to say which parties Labour would or would not work with in a future government but has promised to set that out “closer to the election”.

The latest RNZ-Reid Research poll, conducted from 15-22 January, asked New Zealanders whether Hipkins should rule out any potential pathways to power.

About half of voters want Labour to rule out deal with Te Pāti Māori

The most definitive response came regarding Te Pāti Māori, with almost half of all respondents – 49.6 percent – saying Labour should rule out working with it, compared with just over 34 percent who said it should not.

A further 16 percent said they did not know.

But Hipkins’ dilemma is driven home when looking more specifically at Labour’s own base.

There, just 38 percent of Labour voters said Hipkins should reject Te Pāti Māori, while 44 percent preferred to keep the option open. Undecideds numbered 18.5 percent.

Supporters of Te Pāti Māori and the Greens were strongly aligned in wanting Labour to leave the door open, with more than 60 percent in favour and just 20 percent against.

Among National voters, nearly two-thirds said Labour should rule out Te Pāti Māori, a view shared by about 75 percent of ACT voters and more than 80 percent of NZ First voters.

The polling lands after months of turmoil for Te Pāti Māori, marked by internal conflict, ill discipline and the expulsion of two MPs, one later reinstated after court action.

Hipkins has increasingly sharpened his criticism, saying Te Pāti Māori clearly was not ready for government right now. He has also said Labour would aim to win every Māori electorate, effectively eliminating Te Pāti Māori altogether.

But Labour’s pathway to power is precarious without Te Pāti Māori’s numbers.

The headline results from the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll show the opposition bloc – including Te Pāti Māori – just short of the majority support required.

NZ First could make the difference and has worked with Labour before, in 2005 and 2027. But leader Winston Peters says he will not work with Labour as long as Hipkins remains leader.

Hipkins has also been sceptical of any reunion, telling media he ruled out NZ First before the last election and that was “highly unlikely” to change.

New Zealand First divides voters most sharply

Voters appeared more open to the idea of a revived Labour-NZ First deal than the parties’ leaders were, though opinions were fairly evenly split.

Thirty-nine percent said Labour should shut the door on NZ First, while almost 37 percent said it should not. Nearly a quarter were undecided.

Labour voters leaned more strongly toward ruling NZ First out, with 45 percent suggesting that course of action and about 35 percent opposed.

In fact, supporters of every Parliamentary party except NZ First were, on balance, more inclined to want Labour to exclude Peters.

That was the stance of 37 percent of National voters, 44 percent of ACT voters, 46 percent of Te Pāti Māori voters and 52 percent of Green voters.

By contrast, just 23 percent of NZ First supporters wanted to kill off the potential partnership. Two thirds were in favour of keeping it on the table.

What about Labour’s good friends in the Greens?

Voters were also divided over whether Labour should rule out the Green Party, despite the two parties’ recent cooperation.

More than 40 percent of respondents said Labour should rule out the Greens, compared with about 46 percent who said it should not.

Once again, views split down government and opposition lines.

More than 60 percent of Labour voters wanted the Green Party to remain in play, as did 84 percent of Green voters.

National, ACT and NZ First voters were far more likely to want the Greens excluded.

Speaking to RNZ, Hipkins said he was giving “plenty of thought” to Labour’s governing options and would outline his position “in the fullness of time”.

“Under MMP, you do need to work with other parties,” he said. “But you’ve also got to make sure there’s some compatability there.”

This poll of 1000 people was conducted by Reid Research, using quota sampling and weighting to ensure representative cross section by age, gender and geography. The poll was conducted through online interviews between 15-22 January 2026 and has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.

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Police say they did not attend Mt Maunganui campground over disorder call

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police say they did not attend the Mount Maunganui campground after receiving a call about a disorder incident that referenced a potential landslip about three hours before a deadly landslide as it was unclear if the disorder resulted in any property damage.

It comes after a camper who contacted emergency services on the morning of the landslide told RNZ she saw a local council representative drive through the Mount Maunganui campground and directly past three slips about two hours before the deadly landslide.

The victims of the landslide have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, Sharon Maccanico, 15, and Max Furse-Kee, 15.

A woman, who was woken by Maclennan, spoke with RNZ on Monday about efforts to raise emergency services earlier that morning, including her own call to police three hours before the landslide.

The woman captured this photo of a slip at the campsite at 6.15am on Thursday morning. Supplied

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

A call log provided by the woman confirms she called police at 6.18am. The outgoing call lasted eight minutes.

“I explained to them about the slips. I said, ‘look, I understand that you guys will be really busy, and this might not be anything, but this is what’s happened here’. 

“It was enough to push the ladies’ campervan forward, and there’s a homeless man in the toilet block, and he was actually going crazy and sort of banging on the walls and smashing things.

“And so I said, maybe you should send someone to have a look at that, just in case. You know, there’s a lot of kids here… and they said, yeah, it is a really busy night. It’s been a busy night. It’s a busy morning, we’ll try and get a unit there.”

In response to questions from RNZ, a police spokesperson confirmed police received an emergency call at 6.18am in relation to a disorder incident that had occurred at the campsite.

“During the call, the informant also referenced a potential landslip.

“Police did not attend as it was unclear whether the disorder resulted in any property damage.

“Fire and Emergency New Zealand were earlier alerted to the slip, and the council was in turn notified.”

Between 5am and 9.30am in the Mt Maunganui area, Police received one other call about a slip on the base track.

“The informant left the area safely and noted cones had been placed to restrict further access.”

A recovery crew working on the Mount Maunganui slip site on Monday. Nick Monro/RNZ

The woman earlier told RNZ no-one arrived until about 7.45am, when she said she saw what she described as a ute that was sign-written with Tauranga City Council. The ute stopped and the woman says she called out:

“Look, I don’t know if you can see them from where you are, but there’s these slips up here, I think, you know, someone should look at them.”

The woman was unsure the man heard her. The woman said the ute then drove through the Pilot Bay side of the campground slowly past the slips that she had filmed directly in front of several campsites.

“I figured, well, everything will be fine. Someone from the council’s come, they’ve seen the slips, he’s driven past them, he’s driven through the water that was coming down from that corner that collapsed. So I had no worries after that.”

Max Furse-Kee, 15, Sharon Maccanico, 15 and Susan Knowles, 71, are three of the six Mt Maunganui landslide victims. SUPPLIED

RNZ asked Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale for comment on the woman’s account.

In a statement sent via the council’s media team, Drysdale said “all relevant matters relating to the lead-up to this tragic event will be considered as part of the independent review we are currently initiating”.

“This will be reported back to the community as quickly as possible.

“The detailed scope, timeframes and personnel involved in this independent review process are currently being worked through and will be communicated publicly as soon as finalised.”

It comes after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said there was a “strong case” for a government inquiry into the landslide.

He announced the possibility during a media conference on Tuesday afternoon, and said many questions about last Thursday’s slip were being asked, including whether there was a missed opportunity to evacuate people sooner.

“Six families are grieving the unimaginable loss of their loved ones, and they deserve answers. I acknowledge that the Tauranga City Council has ordered its own inquiry into the events leading up to the landslide at the campground.

“However, I do believe there is a strong case for an independent government inquiry, and we’ll be talking to Tauranga City Council about that.”

Luxon said it would be important not only for the grieving families but for helping to ensure lessons were learned to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

While an independent inquiry had already been announced by local council, Luxon said there were concerns it would not be impartial if it was conducted by the council.

“There’s a potentially an inherent conflict between the ownership of the campground and the council, but it’s also coming from conversations directly with the families that Mark [Mitchell] and I had in the last 48 hours with people in Tauranga at the Mount, and their big desires to actually understand what did happen here.

“I think doing that dispassionately, being able to do that very objectively, through an independent government inquiry would be the way forward.”

A gazebo was erected on the Mt Maunganui slip site on Monday afternoon as a crew in white suits continued work on the ground nearby, while diggers stopped for about half an hour. Nick Monro/RNZ

RNZ approached the Tauranga City Council and police for comment on Monday evening on the woman’s account.

“Once the recovery efforts are completed, we have secured the site and have geotechnical assessments that the landslide area is stable, there will be a process undertaken to examine the events that took place before and during this tragic event,” the council’s controller Tom McEntyre said.

“It would not be appropriate to make any comment now that could affect that process or pre-empt the outcome.”

In response to earlier questions from RNZ, deputy national commander Megan Stiffler confirmed FENZ received a 111 call at 5.48am on Thursday, 22 January, from a person reporting a slip near the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park.

“Our call takers made contact with the Tauranga City Council, the landowners of the camping ground, and notified them of this information at 5.51am.

“The landslip that was referenced in the 111 call received at 5.48am did not impact life or property and therefore Fire and Emergency did not respond firefighters to attend, instead we notified Tauranga City Council as the landowner responsible.”

View of the scene at the landslide that crashed through the Beachside Holiday Park in Mt Maunganui. Supplied / Alan Gibson

Speaking to the New Zealand Herald, Tauranga City Council chief executive Marty Grenfell said there was no record of a 111 call being referred to the council.

However, a council statement released only hours later backtracked on this version of events.

“After further enquiries, we can confirm that the Tauranga City Council’s main Contact Centre received a call from Fire and Emergency New Zealand at around 5.50am on Thursday, 22 January.”

The council said the chief executive’s earlier comments referred specifically to information logged in the council’s Emergency Operations Centre, which did not receive a call.

At about 9.30am a slip came down at the Beachside Holiday Park at Mount Maunganui, smashing into campervans, tents, vehicles and an ablution block near the Mount Hot Pools.

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

Mark Robinson to move into new World Rugby role

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson PHOTOSPORT

Fresh off finishing an often dramatic tenure as NZ Rugby CEO, Mark Robinson has found a new role with World Rugby. The sport’s governing body has hired Robinson as their chief of rugby, which will focus on growing rugby’s global appeal.

“The game is evolving rapidly, and the way players and fans engage with rugby is changing,” said Robinson via a World Rugby press release.

“I’m excited for the chance to help shape a future that enhances the spectacle for fans, supports unions and protects rugby’s core values on a global stage. I look forward to contributing to a strategy that ensures rugby continues to grow in relevance, reach and impact.”

Robinson has long been an advocate for change in rugby, notably brokering the controversial deal between NZR and the US private equity firm Silver Lake. He also attempted to reshape the make up of the NZR board, which was ultimately unsuccessful after major resistance by a number of provincial unions.

Mark Robinson. Graphic: Liam K. Swiggs PHOTOSPORT

Part of the Silver Lake deal involved increasing the All Blacks’ brand presence through digital media, something that Robinson had targeted in the long sought-after US market.

“We are a tiny, isolated island on the other side of the world with a leading sports brand. So we’re trying to grow value so we can invest in all levels of the game,” he said in October in Chicago as the All Blacks prepared to play Ireland at a sold-out Soldier Field.

“I think the positioning of the (All Black) brand now through digital reach and the fact that we’re in markets like the US with such a strong following, shows that our strategy in terms of the work we’ve done overseas is definitely worth it. Now we’ve got a handful of global partners, and we’ve got a growing fan base and much more strategic connection than we’ve ever had.”

The challenge ahead for Robinson will be to maximise the commercial potential for World Rugby in what is still a very scattered global landscape. This year will see the first edition of the Nations Cup, which is the closest the sport has been to a global season since the dawn of professionalism three decades ago.

Brett Robinson, World Rugby Chair. Mark Kolbe/Photosport

However, outside of its World Cups, World Rugby is currently facing challenges in getting the fresh eyes on the game. Despite being a popular Olympic event and a format that has been a door opener into non-traditional markets, Sevens is now a significant cost centre, with the rebranded SVNS circuit incurring estimated losses of between NZD $70-120m since 2023.

World Rugby chair Brett Robinson said: “Mark’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for rugby…and as we embark on the delivery of a bold new five-year strategy, his leadership, rugby intelligence and knowledge will be instrumental in reimagining how our great game grows and thrives.”

Robinson will officially join World Rugby in May, after conducting a sport-wide review of game philosophy and match official alignment, which will be presented at the 2026 World Rugby Shape of the Game conference taking place in late February.

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Air New Zealand flight attendants plan trio of strikes in February

By Evening Report -

January 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Boeing Dreamliner 787-9, from the Air New Zealand fleet. Supplied / Air New Zealand

The Flight Attendants Association (FAANZ) says problems with Air New Zealand’s planes and services are creating extra headaches for staff working to look after passengers at 38,000 feet.

Flight attendants working aboard the airline’s B777 and B787 long range aircraft will stop work for three strikes on 11, 12 and 13 February.

The airline said it was looking to balance the contributions of crew members against the “challenging economic times” and international cabin crews had a unique work and compensation structure.

FAANZ president Craig Featherby said – despite months of bargaining and two rounds of mediation through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment – Air New Zealand had been unable to present a satisfactory pay offer to international cabin crews.

“The company has offered a pay increase that would see crew just hit the living wage. With inflation continuing to bite, many flight attendants are concerned they’ll be back below a liveable wage within a short time,” Featherby said.

He said the airline was failing to prioritise its staff and passengers – leaving it up to crews to address problems, often at 38,000 feet in the air.

“Flights are repeatedly impacted by preventable issues: lack of catering and limited choice, missing equipment to effectively look after customers, inoperative seats, and broken cabin features, alongside higher than usual cancellations.

“Flight attendants, as the face of the airline, are constantly having to work around these issues and apologise to passengers who have paid premium fares to fly with the national carrier,” Featherby said.

He said the latest pay offers from the airline were asking flight attendants to work harder and give up hard-earned terms and conditions in their current contracts in exchange for any “meaningful improvement” in wages.

“The company is sending a clear message to those who represent its front-line – that they are undervalued, despite carrying the weight of the operation every day.

“Air New Zealand must recognise that flight attendants are integral to the airline’s success. They’re safety professionals and ambassadors for the company. It’s time the board and executive team realise that their front-line staff – on the ground, in the call centres and in the air – need real investment,” Featherby said.

E tū union assistant national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said many of the airline’s long range crews had been with Air New Zealand “for decades” and did not take striking lightly.

“Pay for flight attendants has not been good enough for a long time and they are really aware that they are the factor that makes the airline a great airline. They have been pushing Air New Zealand for a long time and this really is a last resort,” Mackintosh said.

Air New Zealand chief people officer Nikki Dines said the assertion that crews were paid below the living wage was not accurate.

She said the airline’s latest offer increased base salaries by a range of 4.14 percent to 6.41 percent.

“Their base salary provides a consistent income, regardless of the hours they fly. In addition to their base salary, cabin crew receive payments and allowances to recognise additional responsibilities, time away from home, and longer duties. They also receive further allowances to support them while they are away from home,” Dines said.

Dines said the airline would work to support customers and minimise disruptions as much as possible if the strikes went ahead.

“We’ll contact any affected travellers directly as soon as more information becomes available and encourage everyone travelling during this period to check their booking details are up to date and to sign up for our Travel Alerts service,” Dines said.

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As it happened: Criminal liability to be probed after Mount Maunganui landslip

By Evening Report -

January 27, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Crews searching for six people buried in a landslide at Mount Maunganui have so far had the weather they’ve been hoping for today.

It’s warm – 20 degrees – and sunny, with some cloud cover and a very gentle breeze.

Officials yesterday labelled moisture “the enemy” – because with it, the clay-like ground they’re working with could become unstable and risk further slips.

The rain has held off so far, however showers are forecast late afternoon and early evening.

An independent review, announced by Tauranga City Council, will look at events leading up to the landslide. Meanwhile, WorkSafe says it will looking into the organisations that had a duty of care for everyone at the Mt Maunganui holiday park.

See how the day unfolded in RNZ’s blog at the top of this page.

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

In Gaza, university scholarships are now a matter of survival

By Asia Pacific Report -

January 27, 2026

By Haya Ahmed

In Gaza today, university scholarships have taken on a whole new meaning. No longer are they a step towards self-development, educational attainment or an academic experience in a different country.

For a whole generation of Gazan students, a foreign university scholarship has become a lifeline and one of the few remaining legal escape routes from the besieged territory.

Gaza’s students are not asking each other where they will study or which university programme is best; the question is existential: “Will I even be able to leave?”

In an environment that has become defined by war, trauma and uncertainty, a university education has taken on a whole new meaning, no longer just a human right or tool for building one’s future.

A university education is now a survival strategy.

The reality of higher education under siege
Over two million Palestinians in Gaza continue to live in exceptional circumstances, under an indefinite Israeli blockade interjected over the years by repeated wars and economic collapse.

The most recent war on the territory, which began after 7 October 2023, resulted in the complete destruction of Gaza’s education infrastructure.

While universities continue to operate partially, they do so among power outages, limited resources, damaged laboratories and libraries and poor internet access.

Language centres, where university-age Palestinian students would go to study for IELTS and TOEFL exams, two English proficiency exams for non-native speakers, which are prerequisites for many universities, were either destroyed or shut down as a result of the most recent war.

This has made meeting traditional admission requirements at foreign universities virtually impossible for many students.

“I had been preparing to take my IELTS exam for two years,” 24-year-old computer engineering graduate Samer Labad from Beit Lahia in North Gaza told The New Arab.

“The language centre I was studying at was completely destroyed in the war. Since then, there has been no stable electricity or internet.”

“How can we be required to meet [admissions requirements] when the tools for them no longer exist?”

More than a degree
Despite the difficult circumstances Palestinian students continue to live in, they have not given up on applying for scholarships in foreign universities. In fact, scholarship funding has increased over the last two years.

Since the most recent ceasefire, which went into effect on 10 October 2025, hundreds of Gazan students have continued to apply for scholarships, with 200 being successful so far.

According to international independent educational initiatives, last year, dozens of students successfully left the Strip to enrol and begin their scholarships abroad. This increase in applications for foreign scholarships does not come from a desire to emigrate, but from the search for safety and psychological stability.

Yasser*, a 26-year-old computer science graduate, recently secured a scholarship for his Master’s degree in Germany.

“I did not only apply for this scholarship because of my love for computer science, but because I felt like my life in Gaza is on hold: work, marriage, my future.” he said.

“This scholarship has enabled me to regain a sense of control over my life.”

He added: “How do you explain to university admissions teams that you’re applying not only so you can learn, but so you can live?”

The surge in demand for scholarships post-October 2023
Israel’s most recent war on Gaza changed the relationship between Gaza’s students and foreign university scholarships forever.

Students no longer viewed a foreign scholarship as a future possibility or nice-to-have, but a necessity for survival in an emergency.

Alaa Al-Turk, an accounting graduate from Al-Jalaa in North Gaza, said when Israel’s genocide broke out in October 2023, his plans to apply for a foreign scholarship transformed from being long-term to imminent.

“In October 2023, I felt like time had run out. I thought, ‘Either I get out [of Gaza] now, or I stay in a danger zone indefinitely.’”

Social experts believe this sharp surge in applications for foreign scholarships since October 2023 reflects a shift in the role of education in Gaza, from a natural path to self-development to a means of emergency survival.

Scholarships not only enable young Palestinians to attempt to leave Gaza legally, but psychologically, they are being used as an attempt to regain control over their destinies.

International universities step in
Understanding the exceptional circumstances Palestinian students face, some international universities in the UK, Germany, Italy, Turkïye and some Scandinavian countries have taken steps to facilitate the admission of students from Gaza.

These steps include offering scholarships specifically for Palestinians from Gaza or easing admissions requirements, particularly language requirements. Some have accepted applications from Gazan students without TOEFL and IELTS exams.

“I was so afraid the university would not accept me because I did not have a language certificate,” said 22-year-old English graduate Layan Al Mashharawi from Shuja’iyya in East Gaza.

“They conducted a lengthy interview with me and told me they knew the issue isn’t my language level, but where I live.”

In the UK, the University of Manchester, the University of Birmingham and SOAS in London have eased admissions requirements for Palestinian students from Gaza as part of the Chevening Scholarships programme, including relaxing language and document requirements.

In Ireland, universities such as Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin have accepted Palestinian students from Gaza onto their programmes, with special humanitarian and academic arrangements.

The University of the United Arab Emirates offers Palestinian students from Gaza full scholarships.

Independent initiatives such as Scholarships for Ghazza and the Gaza Scholarship Initiative have played a large role in connecting Gazan students with these universities.

A scholarship does not always lead to an exit
Obtaining a foreign scholarship does not automatically mean an exit from Gaza. The bigger challenge is actually leaving the Strip.

Gaza’s border crossings are open only for limited periods, and they are sporadic and irregular. There are complex coordination lists and security approvals, making it a highly stressful process.

Every delay to crossing the border puts Palestinian students at risk of losing their scholarships, and every border closure places them back at square one. Many live for months in a state of limbo, waiting for academic acceptance and geographical isolation.

“I was living between two suitcases,” said political science student Noor Hijazi from Deir-El-Balah in central Gaza.

“One packed and ready for travel, and the other for the life I would have to return to if I failed to leave Gaza. This waiting was more stressful than the studying itself.”

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Master’s student Mahmoud Awad from Khan Younis in South Gaza almost missed the start of his degree.

“The university sent me a starting date three times, and each time I explained to them that the problem wasn’t my visa but my inability to leave Gaza. I was afraid I would lose my scholarship because of something that was beyond my control,” he told The New Arab.

When university admission becomes a commodity for survival
With the near-total closure of Gaza’s borders and lack of safe and legal routes out of the territory comes the rise of a disturbing new phenomenon: purchasing acceptance into a university programme not for study but to leave the Strip.

It is not a topic students will talk about openly; those who spoke to The New Arab asked to have their identities protected not for fear of legal repercussion, but because of the moral stigma.

Behind this phenomenon lies a reality more complex than mere cheating. It comes with legal and financial risks, and those who benefit are the middlemen.

Twenty-nine-year-old Karim* said: “I wasn’t looking for a university, I was looking for a door. I applied for official scholarships the traditional way and was unsuccessful.

“The waiting was mentally killing me. At the end, I paid for acceptance into a university just so I could leave.”

Another student, 27-year-old Heba* said: ” I knew I might not be able to continue my studies, but staying in Gaza was no longer an option. I wasn’t buying a university education; I was buying a chance at survival.”

Education should not be a corridor to survival
What Gaza’s university-age students are asking for is not emigration, but the ability to choose to study, travel and also return to Gaza without these options being a matter of life and death.

University scholarships should not be a ticket to survival, and education should not become a substitute for the basic human rights of freedom of movement and the right to live with dignity.

Until that happens, for Gaza’s students, foreign scholarships will remain more than an academic opportunity.

*Names changed upon request

Haya Ahmed is a doctor and freelance writer from Gaza. This article was first published by The New Arab.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

NZ speedsters target relays for Commonwealth Games, world championship selection

By Evening Report -

January 27, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tiian Whelpton runs leadout leg in a 4x100m relay at Hastings. Kerry Marshall/Photosport

New Zealand’s fastest sprinters have taken their international ambitions into their own hands – and they’ve found an unlikely source of support for their endeavours.

Less than a month after watching national recordholder Eddie Osei-Nketia change allegiances, many of his former rivals have joined him across the Tasman to participate in an Australian national sprint camp focused on relays.

Under a community-driven initiative known as ‘Black Batons’, the Kiwi speedsters have joined forces to push for Commonwealth Games and world championships selection this year.

Seventeen sprinters paid their own way to attend the week-long camp on the Gold Coast this month, tapping into Athletics Australia resources, as they try to qualify for the world stage.

The scheme has been masterminded by local coaches Nuree Greenhalgh and Sonia Waddell.

Greenhalgh was a junior champion over 400m/800m, but has found her niche as an up-and-coming mentor for sprinters, guiding Lex Revell-Lewis to a men’s national 400 metres record (45.88s) and Kendra Scally Tu’i to a women’s junior 200 metres mark (23.52s) last summer.

Waddell is simply a part of Kiwi sporting folklore. Daughter of All Blacks flanker Alistair Scown, she was a junior 400m hurdles champion on the track, before switching to rowing, where she reached two Olympic single sculls finals and won world championship silver in the quad.

As a cyclist, she won a national time trial title and then piloted partially sighted Jayne Parsons to para-cycling world championship gold.

She’s married to former Olympic rowing champion and America’s Cup winner Rob Waddell. Daughter Madeline is the current national women’s 400 metres champion and junior recordholder (52.62s), and is about to take up a track scholarship at prestigious Duke University in the United States.

“We reached out to David Reid at Athletics Australia, just to find out about his relay programme, because after three years, it’s been really successful,” said Greenhalgh. “We’re just building out knowledge and Athletics Australia invited us over, as coaches, to come into camp with them.

“Then they reached out and said, ‘Why don’t you bring a relay squad and run against us at the end of the week… you’re helping us’.”

The Aussies have recently used their relay programme to catapult their sprinters to new heights. Vindication of that effort came, when their women’s 4x400m team won world indoor bronze at Nanjing, China last March.

Lex Revell-Lewis and Eddie Osei-Neketia found themselves on different teams at the Gold Coast relay camp. Supplied/Casey Simms

In May, their mixed 4x400m – two men and two women – finished second at the world relays championships at Guangzhou, China, as Australia qualified teams in all six events contested.

For qualification, record and ranking purposes, races must feature at least two international teams. The Aussies have previously hosted Papua New Guinea at their camps to fulfil that requirement, but having a competitive Kiwi contingent on board suited them perfectly.

“They went above and beyond helping,” Greenhalgh reflected. “They imparted all their knowledge.”

The NZ athletes trained alongside their trans-Tasman counterparts, attended tactical and video analysis sessions, and at the end of the week, a men’s 4x100m team of Tiaan Whelpton, Hayato Yoneto, Shay Veitch and Revell-Lewis came within one-tenth of a second of a national record, almost running down old mate Osei-Nketia in the process.

A mixed 4x100m combination clocked 43.29s, which would have ranked 28th-fastest nation last year. Twenty-four teams will qualify for the world relays at Gaborone, Botswana, in May.

Homegrown sprinters have long been frustrated at the lack of international opportunities afforded them and Osei-Nketia’s non-selection for the Paris Olympics, despite breaking his father’s NZ 100 metres mark at the world championships, was undoubtedly a factor in his switch of nationality.

While New Zealand has a long and rich record of distance-running success, the last sprinter to make an Olympic final was more than a century ago, when Arthur Porritt took bronze over 100 metres at Antwerp 1924.

Forty-seven men broke 10 seconds over 100 metres last year alone – the first man dipped under that barrier 58 years ago.

New Zealand has never had one. Top Kiwi Whelpton clocked 10.10s – good for second on our all-time list – and ranked only 120th in the world.

Promising sprinter Kendra Scally Tu’i in action at the Gold Coast relay camp. Supplied/Casey Simms

Although New Zealand struggles to turn out top-class sprinters – Zoe Hobbs is the lone exception in recent times – its depth over 100 metres, especially among men, has probably never been better.

Throughout the years, only 25 NZ men have equalled or beaten 10.50s, admittedly a very modest time by world standards. In 2025, NZ had seven – not counting Osei-Nketia – more than the country had ever had.

“In the past, relays have not worked in New Zealand,” Greenhalgh said. “They haven’t taken off.

“Athletes have been more individual based and not committed to the relay.

“After seeing Australia competing their teams on the world stage and creating opportunities, we saw a little gap. We just wanted to create a way to get our athletes out there.

“Realistically, some won’t make it internationally as individuals, so their chance is the relay space. We want to keep athletes in the sport and give them results for all their hard training.”

When Greenhalgh and Scown first floated the proposal, they achieved buy-in from about 30 athletes across men and women, senior and junior.

South African-born Whelpton, 25, admitted he was sceptical about the idea. He had represented New Zealand at world indoor and outdoor, and last weekend came as close as any Kiwi to that 10-second benchmark, clocking 10.02s at Whanganui, with the aid of an excessive tailwind.

“My initial reaction was, ‘Here we go again’,” he said. “This is not the first time someone’s tried to get a relay going – there’s been quite a few failed attempts in the last few years.

“Initially, I didn’t pay as much attention as I probably should have. I thought this would be another one that didn’t get anywhere.

“After talking to Sonia and Nuree, and seeing how many people were getting stuck in and grabbing the bull by the horns, I’ve been 100 percent on board.

“I think we’ve got an unparalleled level of depth in the sprints that we’ve not had in previous years. We could genuinely have quite a competitive team – we might not have the speed some other countries have, but if we nail our changes, there’s no reason we can’t be competitive.”

Lex Revell-Lewis and Shay Veitch transfer the baton during a 4x100m relay on the Gold Coast. Supplied/Casey Simms

New Zealand sport is famous for fielding teams that perhaps lack the raw talent of their opponents, but make up for that by performing above the sum of their parts. In relay running, the great leveller is the requirement to get the baton safely around the track, while transferring it from one runner to the next within designated zones.

Inability to perfect this has derailed many fast teams throughout history, but the Kiwis can improve their standing considerably through mastering the intangible.

“That’s what we’re trying to work towards,” Whelpton said. “It’s going to take a while to get there.

“The Aussies have been doing it for a number of years now and, watching them, they are on another level. They are an Olympic final relay team and our goal is to get to the level they’re at.”

Whelpton insisted the Gold Coast camp was one of the best he’d attended in his career.

“We had access to their physios, their bio-mechs… they were filming us and giving us all our data. They were really holding our hand along the way and you could see they really wanted us to be better.

“If we can get to the point where we’re faster and competitive with them, that will be better for their relays too.”

The most notable absentee so far has been Hobbs, who also missed out on Tokyo Olympic selection, but used that setback as motivation to establish herself among the world’s fastest women.

In 2024, she became the first Oceania female to crack 11 seconds for 100 metres (10.97s) and has lowered her national record twice since. She has reached semifinals three times at world championships and again at the 2024 Paris Olympic, while narrowly missing a world indoor medal over 60 metres.

Zoe Hobbs overcame Tokyo Olympics non-selection to reach the Paris semifinals two years later. AFP/JEWEL SAMAD

Hobbs, 28, has the least to gain and the most to lose from diverting her attention towards a relay programme.

“It’s really important Zoe focus on her individual [goals] at the moment,” Greenhalgh said. “She hasn’t said she’s in or out.

“We’re just letting Zoe do Zoe, because she obviously has a Commonwealth Games campaign and world champs indoors.

“The goal of these relays is to get athletes competing on the world stage and growing in confidence. Zoe’s already there.”

For its part, Athletics NZ has expressed its backing for the initiative, even if its material contribution is limited.

“Athletics NZ is supportive of community-led initiatives that help move our sport forward at all levels and it’s been great to see the work going into the recent independent relay programme,” it told RNZ. “We’re fortunate to have passionate coaches all over the country, who make a huge contribution to athletics at all levels, every day.

“Although we’re not able to allocate funding to these types of development initiatives, we’ll offer support where we can and have worked with our meet promoters this season to make sure there are relay opportunities available at our domestic events.

“Some of the athletes and coaches involved also recently attended an Athletics NZ performance development camp, organised as part of our wider performance-development programme.

“Looking ahead, the Oceania Championships are a significant international competition opportunity for these teams, with qualifying for the 2026 world relay championships and the 2026 Commonwealth Games as aspirational goals for many of our athletes.”

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

National only a whisker ahead of Labour on the economy – poll

By Evening Report -

January 27, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ

The National Party has narrowly outperformed Labour as the party voters trust the most to manage the economy.

The latest RNZ-Reid Research results would return the coalition government to power with a slim majority of 61 seats, if replicated on polling day.

The results saw New Zealand First climb into third place on party preferences, recording its strongest result in the Reid Research series in more than eight years.

The RNZ-Reid Research poll also asked voters a series of topical questions, including what party they trusted most to manage the economy.

A slim majority of 32.2 percent of voters said they trusted National, with Labour just a whisker behind on 31.4 percent.

The next highest score was those who said they didn’t trust any party to manage the economy (9.7 percent) followed by those who said they didn’t know (7.7 percent).

New Zealand First scored next on (7.6 percent) followed by the Green Party (5.8 percent), the ACT Party (3.2 percent), Te Pāti Māori (1.7 per cent) and those who said other (0.6 percent).

The result will be a worry for the National Party, having battled two years of economic headwinds after promising to get the country back on track.

It will also be a concern that National came in behind Labour when voters were asked what party they trusted the most to assist with the cost of living.

Labour lead on 35.5 percent followed by National (24.6 percent), those who answered none (9.9 percent), the Greens (8.3 percent), New Zealand First (8.2 percent), those who said they didn’t know (7.8 percent), the ACT Party (3.5 percent), Te Pāti Māori (1.4 percent) and other (0.7 percent).

The leaders heading up the two major parties have also returned low results in their performance ratings.

There was a small improvement in the public’s perception of National leader Christopher Luxon’s performance, with a net score of -14, an improvement of 1.2 points over his September 2025 rating of -15.2.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins returned the lowest net score of 0.9 since he has been the Leader of the Labour Party.

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

Ōakura locals adjust to new reality as main road blocked for months

By Evening Report -

January 27, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Ōakura Bay Reserves Board member Malcolm Devereux, left, and chairman Glenn Ferguson mop out the devastated community hall. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

A nail-biting, mostly single-lane gravel road will remain the key lifeline linking a storm-battered Northland town with the outside world for the next eight to 14 weeks.

That’s how long the Whangārei District Council expects it will take to clear a monster slip at Helena Bay Hill on Russell Road, the main road between Ōakura and Whangārei.

The slip came down on Wednesday at the end of a four-day deluge that soaked the district’s northeast coast.

The tiny settlement of Punaruku, for example, recorded as much rain each hour between 3am and 5am on 18 January as most places in Northland get in the entire month.

A washed-out bridge on the road from Ōakura north to Russell reopened after temporary repairs on Saturday night, but the only direct link to Whangārei – via Pigs Head Road and Kaiikanui Road – is a back route open to local residents, recovery workers and emergency services only.

‘Lifeline road’ remains steep, narrow and unsealed

Nena Rogers, owner of Ōakura Bay Store, said the closure of the main road to Whangārei would hit the business hard.

“It’ll definitely slow us down. People won’t be able to come here for fishing on the weekends and things like that. It’s our busy season, so it will have a huge impact on us further down the track. We have to make money in the summertime to get through the winter, so we can carry on the service we’ve provided for the past 30 years.”

Ōakura Bay Store owner Nena Rogers says the closure of the main road will hit her business hard. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

Rogers said the past year had already been tough due to the economic climate and a drop in visitors in the lead-up to Christmas.

However, she said the town, and the store, had survived without the main access road in the past.

In 2007 a huge chunk of road fell away at Helena Bay Hill – not far from the current slip – leaving Ōakura cut off for almost four months.

“So we’ve been there before,” she said.

Since last week’s slip, council contractors had urgently cleared and graded Kaiikanui Road, and installed traffic lights on a particularly nerve-racking 800-metre section.

However, the “lifeline road” remained steep, narrow and unsealed, with sheer drop-offs in many places.

The main road to Ōakura has disappeared under a massive slip at Helena Bay Hill. Supplied / Ngātiwai Trust Board

Rogers said it was fortunate the shop was stocked up for summer when the storm hit, though she was now starting to see serious gaps in her supplies.

Flour, tea, coffee and even chocolate were among the essentials starting to run low.

Her wholesaler had pledged a big delivery this week, using small trucks that could get through Kaiikanui Road.

Rogers said Ōakura had seen huge support from suppliers, the council and tradies, many of whom had baches in the settlement.

She had lost very little stock to the flood, mostly because she had spent the past 30 years preparing.

That included improving drainage, ensuring nothing was stored at ground level, and sandbagging.

Flooded properties at Ōakura Bay as seen from the air. Supplied / Ngātiwai Trust Board

The biggest problem was sewage backing up when the treatment plant failed.

Unclear how isolated Ōakura will fare for medical services

Rogers said it was not yet clear how Ōakura, which was isolated even in normal times, would fare for medical services.

Before the deluge a health clinic operated once a fortnight with a doctor visiting once a month.

“During the storm we had a lady who needed staples removed from an operation, and they were going to fly the staple remover out from Whangārei because there was no road at that time. But they did manage to get her out in an ambulance,” Rogers said.

“We’ve got a couple of nurses living out here, so that makes a difference, and I do minor stuff. I fixed up a man’s hand who’d taken a great lump out of it. We couldn’t get hold of anybody but my mother was a nurse, so I know what I’m doing.”

She said locals were “pretty resilient” and used to looking after themselves, but reality was starting to sink in.

“When something like this happens, you pick yourself up and you go and do things. But I’ve noticed people are looking drawn and tired. It’s pretty sad, really.”

Rogers welcomed the news that Ngaiotonga Bridge had reopened, restoring road access from the north.

However, for people heading to Whangārei, that was a long and costly detour, requiring either a trip on the Russell ferry – a car costs $18.50 each way plus a fee for each passenger – or braving the rugged and flood-prone Waikare Road.

Only essential vehicles, full-time residents can use Kaiikanui Road

Whangārei District Council has said it would only allow essential vehicles and full-time residents to use Kaiikanui Road.

Rogers agreed with keeping sightseers off the lifeline road, but believed bach owners should be allowed.

They needed to check and clean up their properties, and in some cases, salvage what was left.

“But if you’re just coming out here because you want to have a look, turn around, because you just might end up at the bottom of one of those slips.”

Rongoā Māori practitioner Donna Kerridge attempts to rescue raranga (weaving) soaked by floodwaters that swept through the ground floor of her Ōakura home. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

Just down the road from the shop, Sunday’s flash flood rose to chest-height in the ground floor of Donna Kerridge’s home.

The flood submerged priceless books and notes the rongoā Māori practitioner had collected over the years, as well as woven kete and cloaks.

Kerridge said the months-long closure of the main road would affect her financially.

“I’ll probably lose quite a bit of contract work, because I won’t be able to go backwards and forwards, but that’s just money. Also, we’ll lose conveniences, things like fresh milk, but conveniences are not important,” she said.

“I guess the challenge will be more for family who can’t come and see us, who are concerned about our welfare. It’s going to be hard for them.”

Kerridge said people had held up well so far but she expected the isolation would take a toll.

“After a while, we might start to get grumpy. Right now we’re very grateful. The mood is one of gratitude that nobody got hurt. I think we’re still very much in stunned mullet, grateful mode, but the shine will wear off shortly. I expect we’re going to have a slump in our emotions.”

A clean-up of the slip-damaged Ōakura Community Hall is on hold until it can be assessed by council engineers. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

Self-sufficiency, resilience essential skills for Ōakura residents

Key lessons for Ōakura residents from the storm included the need to be more self-sufficient and able to fend for themselves for extended periods of time.

If a disaster were to hit Whangārei as well, Ōakura would be well down the list of priorities for help – which Kerridge said was understandable, given Whangārei’s much greater population.

“So we need an extra element of resilience,” she said.

Emergency access routes also had to be considered, she said.

Whangaruru had its own Coastguard vessel, but in a storm like last week’s the sea was too rough to put it to use as emergency transport.

As for Kaiikanui Road, Kerridge said she wouldn’t be using it in a hurry.

“The stories I’ve heard are enough to make me say, if I had a baby that was unwell, I might use it. For anybody else, I’m sorry, but don’t ask me to take you out over that road.”

Mark and Victoria Seymour, 13, work to clean up the stinky, stinky silt that has engulfed the long-time family bach. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

Around the corner, on the Ōakura waterfront, Tauranga’s Mark Seymour and daughter Victoria, 13, were scraping a sticky, stinky layer of silt from their front lawn.

Seymour said the bach had been in the family for 42 years, in a “magic” spot offering great views, good fishing, and a safe beach for the kids to swim and kayak.

He said the floodwaters had been about half a metre deep through the ground floor, trashing six beds, fridges, a washing machine, and other belongings.

Slips from the hillside behind the bach had blocked stormwater drains, turning waterfront properties into one large brown lake.

“The water itself is a problem, but it’s the silt that has washed down from the slips that’s been a really tricky thing to work with. Very, very sticky,” he said.

Seymour said even a high-pressure water blaster had little impact on the silt, so he was now scraping and shovelling by hand.

“I’ve probably dumped about 30 wheelbarrow loads now, and it’s just a sticky, goopy mess of silt.”

The town’s sewer network had been overwhelmed by floodwaters and septic tanks had overflowed, causing other problems.

“Now the sun’s out and the wind’s blowing, things are starting to heat up and dry out, and the stench is pretty hard to bear.”

On the surface normality appears to be returning to Ōakura, but it’s a different story for home owners cleaning up flood-hit properties or trying to get in and out of the isolated settlement. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

However, he counted himself lucky – at least three nearby homes had been badly damaged by slips.

“These are families that have been here 60 years. That’s a long, long tenure, and it’s pretty hard to see people you’ve grown up with go through that.”

Seymour was not fazed by Kaiikanui Road, saying it was “definitely” a challenging, narrow, winding, metal road, but it was similar to the access road used in his grandparents’ day.

However, he urged people thinking about taking a tiki tour to Ōakura to leave the road to those who needed it most, such as recovery workers or locals trying to get to their jobs in Whangārei.

Like Rogers and Kerridge, Seymour said he’d been struck by Ōakura’s resilience.

“We’ll carry on and get stronger. We’ll learn from it, and next time, we’ll be even stronger. But I think it’s a good wake up call, to look at what’s happened and what could be done in future to avoid it, like maintenance on drains and roads, that kind of thing. It’s only going to get worse as time goes by with the storm intensities we’re seeing.”

Kerridge said continuing to live in a place like Ōakura, where access was fragile and beset by so many pinch points, would mean making compromises.

“And I think the people here are resigned to that. We don’t get to live the life that we did a week ago. It requires adjustment, and I think we’re adjusting really well.”

State of Emergency for Hikurangi-Coastal Ward extended

On Tuesday afternoon Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper extended the State of Emergency in the Hikurangi-Coastal Ward for another seven days – but lifted it for the rest of the Whangārei District.

Couper said a localised State of Emergency would allow the council to deploy extra support quickly, if needed.

The Hikurangi-Coastal Ward includes Ōakura and Whangaruru, the worst affected areas in Northland during last week’s storm.

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

Council’s Mount Maunganui landslide review to consider ‘all relevant matters’ – Drysdale

By Evening Report -

January 27, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

The slip at Mauao, Mount Maunganui as seen from the air. Screengrab / Amy Till

Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale says all relevant matters relating to the lead-up to the fatal Mount Maunganui landslide will be considered as part of an independent review.

It comes after a camper who contacted emergency services on the morning of the landslide told RNZ she saw a local council representative drove through the Mount Maunganui campground and directly past three slips about two hours before the deadly landslide.

A woman, who was woken by Maclennan, spoke with RNZ on Monday about efforts to raise emergency services earlier that morning, including her own call to police three hours before the landslide.

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

She told RNZ that about 7.45am she saw what she described as a ute that was sign-written with Tauranga City Council. The ute stopped and the woman says she called out, “Look, I don’t know if you can see them from where you are, but there’s these slips up here, I think, you know, someone should look at them.”

RNZ asked Drysdale for comment on the woman’s account.

“This will be reported back to the community as quickly as possible.

Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale says details of the review are being worked through. Calvin Samuel / RNZ

“The detailed scope, timeframes and personnel involved in this independent review process are currently being worked through and will be communicated publicly as soon as finalised.”

It comes after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said there was a “strong case” for a government inquiry into the landslide.

“However, I do believe there is a strong case for an independent government inquiry, and we’ll be talking to Tauranga City Council about that.”

Luxon said it would be important not only for the grieving families but for helping to ensure lessons were learned to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

While an independent inquiry had already been announced by local council, Luxon said there were concerns it would not be impartial if it was conducted by the council.

“There’s a potentially an inherent conflict between the ownership of the campground and the council, but it’s also coming from conversations directly with the families that Mark and I had in the last 48 hours with people in Tauranga at the Mount, and their big desires to actually understand what did happen here.