ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for January 10, 2026

January 10, 2026

ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on January 10, 2026.

Ian Powell: The Nicolás Maduro kidnapping, US imperialist expansion and implications for New Zealand
ANALYSIS: By Ian Powell There is much to understand from the dramatic kidnapping — abduction is perhaps a better word — of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores last weekend by the United States armed forces, combined with the military attack on the country’s capital Caracas. This understanding is greatly helped by

As the Arctic warms up, the race to control the region is growing ever hotter
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Klaus Dodds, Interim Dean, Faculty of Science & Technology, Middlesex University Donald Trump and his senior officials insist that Greenland must become part of the US. This is for national security purposes, they say, maintaining that Denmark, of which Greenland is a constituent part, is not investing

Four ways to understand what’s going on with the US, Denmark and Greenland
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Manners, Professor, Department of Political Science, Lund University Shutterstock/Michal Balada European countries, and Denmark in particular, are scrambling to respond to threats from US officials over the future of Greenland. Having successfully taken out the leadership of Venezuela in a raid on January 3, an emboldened

As authors abandon Adelaide Writers’ Week after cancelling of Randa Abdel-Fattah, is free speech in tatters?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne The decision by the Adelaide Festival Board to exclude Palestinian Australian author and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah from Adelaide Writers’ Week on the grounds of “cultural sensitivity” is based on a dangerously broad and vague

Albanese bows to relentless pressure for Bondi royal commission but scepticism remains
SPECIAL REPORT: By David Robie Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has finally bowed to pressure from the Murdoch News Corp’s relentless media campaign and advocacy by political critics and victim’s families to announce a royal commission of inquiry into “antisemitism and social cohesion”. The commission advocates were seeking his political downfall over last month’s Bondi

Former French Foreign Legion soldier key suspect in Vanuatu VT49m heist
By Doddy Morris in Port Vila The Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) has confirmed that the prime suspect in a Port Vila armed robbery is a former member of the French Foreign Legion, who served around 2019. Allegations had circulated on social media for the past four days, but yesterday it was officially confirmed that the

Former NZ mayoral hopeful arrested at Venezuela solidarity protest
RNZ News Three people, including former Wellington mayoral hopeful Graham Bloxham, have been arrested at a Venezuela solidarity protest in New Zealand’s capital. Around 100 people were rallying against the US military action earlier this week outside New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) on Lambton Quay. During the event Bloxham, who was

View from The Hill: Albanese’s backflip on royal commission is a humiliating own goal
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prides himself with being in tune with the public mood. But in holding out for weeks against a royal commission into antisemitism he misjudged that mood, making Thursday’s backdown on his hardline opposition a humiliation for

How to protect yourself from bushfire smoke
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brian Oliver, Professor, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney The distinctive smell of smoke in summer is often all you need to know there is a bushfire burning. Even if the fire is many kilometres away, the drop in air quality can be harmful for

The battle over sharing Wellington’s bike trails

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Mountain-bikers say Wellington’s Matairangi/Mount Victoria trails provide a unique environment of “world class” riding just a stone’s throw from the central city, but a recent spate of vandalism has underlined community discontent over the growing network of trails on the hill.

The local residents’ association president said some people avoided the area, because of concerns over safety.

On almost any clear day in the Wellington suburb, mountain-bikers thread their way through a network of trails in the green belt that stands just a short climb from the central city’s party district of Courtenay Place.

The hill is criss-crossed by a maze of some 25.5km of trails and paths, used by walkers, runners, mountain-bikers and sightseers.

The trails have been designated as either walker-priority shared trails, walker-only or bike-only trails.

The green belt tracks were damaged and blocked off in December. Wellington City Council

[H] Trails range from beginner to highly technical riding

Mountain-bike racer Iley Nunns, 18, started riding in Matairangi as a part of Wellington Off-Road Department (WORD) youth rides, when she was 10 years old.

In 2025, she represented New Zealand at the UCI Enduro World Champs in Switzerland.

She said the riding on the hill was “world class”.

“Mt Vic can get very challenging, because of the roots and the clay,” she said. “It can get very slippery in the wet, but it’s so good, because you just learn those really good technical skills, which have helped me a lot in races around the world, because I have a unique set of skills that people from [other parts of the country] might not have.”

“It’s good for my own training – as well as the WORD kids – because of the progression the trails offer. There’s jump tracks and there’s tech tracks, and they all progress, so you can start off on the easiest track, move your way up and have lots of fun.”

Mountain-biking in the area began almost as soon as the first wave of off-road bicycles hit the country’s stores in the late 1980s and early ’90s.

The early bike trails formed almost organically – albeit with a little help from the spades and saws of early devotees – but as the sport grew, trail-building groups became more active in the area, forming bermed corners, drops and jumps, and working with the council to keep their handiwork and fun intact.

Mountain-bike racer Iley Nunns competing at the 2025 UCI Enduro World Championships in Switzerland. Supplied

Man formally warned by police following trail vandalism

Not everyone was happy with mountain-bikers’ presence in the area.

In early December, locals reported mountain-bike trail-marking signs torn down, holes dug out in riding lines, and logs and stumps strewn across tracks.

Later in the month, police confirmed a man had been formally warned “for endangering life or safety by criminal nuisance”, after admitting to vandalising the mountain-bike trails.

Residents fearful of ‘people crashing around on bikes’

Mount Victoria Residents Association president Ellen Blake said her group had heard concerns from locals and walkers in the area as far back as the early 2000s.

She said residents worried about close shaves with riders and the impact of bike trails on the area’s ecology.

“A lot of different people use the park in a different way, but we were hearing quite a lot of concerns from people who walked up there, and felt threatened or frightened by mountain-bike activity,” she said.

Mount Victoria Residents’ Association president Ellen Blake says some residents feel threatened by the presence of riders among walking tracks on Mount Victoria. Supplied

“Some of it was about the damage that was done to the tracks [and] just from people walking up there being frightened by people whooshing out of tracks.”

Blake said some members avoided the area because of it.

“Who should be giving way is what I want to know. Is it the people on the bike or the people walking?

“Normally, in traffic situations, it’s the person in charge of the vehicle that needs to be in control of it, and to manage their speed there and how they behave. We’ve flipped the presumptions up there, I think.

“We’re not on the road. We go to the park to get away from that.

“People go up there because it’s all nice green and bushy, and they like to hear the birds and see the sights. It shouldn’t be that people have to watch out for people crashing around on bikes.”

She said her group had asked the council to ensure that mountain-bike-only trails were equally matched by trails designated for walkers.

“We’ve got the mountain bikers fighting their corner and everybody else on the other side. We haven’t got a solution.

“What we’ve got is 12 mountain-bike-only tracks and no other option for other people.”

Vicky Robertson flanked by volunteers, as they plant native trees along the Hatatai side of Mt Victoria. Supplied

Room for everyone

Matairangi Trail Group’s Vicky Robertson said the group co-ordinated their volunteers with the council’s input to maintain mountain-bike trails – and cross over points with other tracks – as well as picking up rubbish and planting native trees in the area.

She said GPS measurements of the area showed nearly 15km of the 25.5km trail network were designated walker-priority, with another 2.5km of tracks as walking-only.

“I would say there’s room for everyone up there,” she said. “There is a small group of dog-walkers up there, who are off-leash.

“There’s a small group of walkers who are aggressive, there’s a small group of teenage mountain-bikers who aren’t respectful to others, so I think – on our part – there’s a part of an education and respect piece that needs to be done, particularly with our younger people.”

“WORD does a fantastic job of this and I think, if we can build on what we’re doing with the young people up there, that would really help,” Robertson said.

Vicky Robertson says volunteers have planted up to 8700 native trees in the area over the last five years. Supplied

Young riders learning trail etiquette

WORD national operations manager Nicola Johnson said the charity’s instructors taught more than 1000 young riders each year and often used the Mount Victoria trails for their group classes.

She said they encouraged their young riders to participate in maintaining local trails and to learn proper trail etiquette.

“If you’re standing still or walking, and someone’s coming towards you at high speed, it can be terrifying and I completely get how walkers can feel in that space.

“It has got better in terms of how the mountain-bike trails are a little bit more directed away from the walking trails. The signage has got better.

“I think there might be a little bit more work to do in that space, just to make sure that walkers are safe and also riders are safe. You want everyone to have a good time up there, it’s such a special place.”

“I don’t think it’s unmanageable, [but] I think there are some pinch points for sure – at entrances and exits of trails – and that’s something that we encourage our instructors and our kids to move to the side of the trail, and let people get by,” Johnson said.

Sixteen-year-old mountain-bike racer Kiera Vlaar started out doing WORD courses. This year, she took out three victories in the U17s of this year’s IXS downhill cup series in Europe.

She said she loved the accessibility of riding so close to the city, and how she and her friends could get “loads of laps” riding in the compact area.

She said she did encounter people – often tourists looking for Lord of the Rings filming locations – walking on the mountain-bike tracks.

“It does get quite busy at times,” Vlaar said. “You get on the brakes really quickly and tell them that riders are coming down these tracks, and it’s going to put you in a bit of a difficult situation, if they don’t see you and you don’t see them.”

Wellington City Council told RNZ it kept track of how many people used the hill’s 12 bike-priority trails with track counters.

It said major improvements had been made in the past decade, but there were still opportunities for improvement, and the council liaised with locals, restoration groups, trail runners and bike riders – along with the council’s own accessibility focus group – on this.

In recent years, tracks had been widened or – in the case of the Hataitai to City Walkway – resurfaced to improve safety, and signage improved to signal whether a track was walker or bike-priority.

Intersection alignments had been improved to remove crossing points, slow riders and improve sight-lines, it said.

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

Stan Wawrinka gets Melbourne wildcard but Kyrgios to play doubles only

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Stan Wawrinka has withdrawn from the ASB Classic. PHOTOSPORT

Three-time Grand Slam tennis champion Stan Wawrinka has pulled out of the ASB Classic men’s tournament.

The veteran has told organisers he can’t play now that his Switzerland team have made the semifinals of the United Cup in Sydney.

The Swiss team play Belgium today, while the United States face Poland in the other semi.

The final will be on Sunday, with the Auckland men’s tournament starting Monday.

Wawrinka, who has played in the Auckland tournament twice, was one of the big drawcards this year.

The 40-year-old announced last year that he would hang up his racquet at the end of 2026, ending a 24-year pro career.

His withdrawal means changes to the schedule, with two former Auckland champions elevated to the main draw.

2024 winner Alejandro Tabilo from Chile was meant to play New Zealand wildcard Isaac Becroft in qualifying on Saturday, but has now gained a wildcard into the main draw.

Alejandro Tabilo celebrates his win at the 2024 ASB Classic. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport

Roberto Bautista Agut, who won in 2016 and 2018, also enters the main draw. Like Wawrinka and defending champion Gael Monfils, Spaniard Bautista Agut is likely in his final year of top level competition.

French veteran Adrian Mannarino, a former Auckland finalist, has also been promoted to the main draw.

“These things happen, unfortunately,” ASB Classic tournament director Nicolas Lamperin said. “It is good that Stan has been playing so strongly, but on the other side of things, it can come with unexpected clashes with schedules, if they progress through build-up tournaments.

“We lose Stan, which is disappointing, but now we have two former champions guaranteed of being in the first round.”

Wawrinka beat Rafa Nadal to win the 2014 Australian Open, and also won the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open, beating Novak Djokovic both times.

Wawrinka has also been granted a wildcard to play in the Australian Open, with other wildcards going to Australians Jordan Thompson and Chris O’Connell, AFP reported.

The wildcard decisions followed Nick Kyrgios’ advice that he was not ready to play singles after injury, but he would feature in the doubles draw.

2022 Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios made his comeback after an injury-ravaged three years in Brisbane this week, but lost in the opening round to American Aleksandar Kovacevic.

Despite being in the running for a wildcard at his home Grand Slam starting on 18 January, the Australian showman said he was not ready.

“After some good conversations with TA [Tennis Australia], I’ve made the call to focus on doubles for this year’s Australian Open,” he said on Instagram.

“I’m fit and back on court, but five-setters are a different beast and I’m not quite ready to go the distance yet.”

Australian Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the Australian Open singles. GLYN KIRK

The defeat to Kovacevic was his first singles ATP Tour match since last March and he conceded afterwards that he would never be the player he once was.

Kyrgios, who has tumbled to 670 in the rankings, after reaching a high of 13 in 2016, said he was happy to give the opportunity to someone else.

“This tournament means everything to me, but I’d rather give my spot to someone who’s ready to make their moment count,” Kyrgios said.

While giving singles a miss, Kyrgios will play doubles with fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.

He previously committed to playing singles at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, which begins on Tuesday.

– RNZ/AFP

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

Hamilton mum-and-daughter busking duo delights TikTok

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

After deciding to take a road trip to their ancestral land in Whangārei this summer, Jessie and Ally (aka Miss Ally) had the “bright idea” of busking along the way.

They kicked off at the Ngāruawāhia markets on 20 December, and on Ally’s suggestion, posted a clip of the performance on the TikTok account @mumandmebusking, waking up the next day to over 2,000 followers.

“It feels really heartwarming to see someone enjoy my singing,” Ally tells Morning Report.

On Christmas Eve in Huntly, Jessie and Ally sang ‘No Scrubs’ and were given some caramel corn. Their covers of Chappel Roan’s ‘Pink Pony Club’, Alanis Morrissette’s ‘Ironic’, Connie Francis’s ‘Pretty Little Baby’ and ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain?’ (House of Shem version) have also proved popular.

Although Ally has been singing her whole life, she only became a busker about a month ago. Now the chatty eight-year-old is educating her international TikTok followers on this “really nice” way of performing as she learns what it’s like to be famous.

“Usually [people] come up to me and they’ll be like, ‘Oh my gosh, are you guys mumandmebusking? We’re like ‘yes’, and they’re like, ‘Oh, can we have a selfie?!’

“It feels really heartwarming to see someone enjoy my singing.”

Ally says she really loved visiting her great-grandparents’ resting place in Whangārei recently, and it’s been “very special to have time with my mum and do something we both enjoy”.

After visiting Whangārei, the pair have now hit the road again and in the next few weeks, will busk around Hamilton, Tauranga and Mount Maunganui.

In the hope of reaching 10,000 TikTok followers, Ally and Jessie are now posting daily videos of their summer singing adventure.

Funds raised will mostly go towards overseas travel, Jesse says, but Ally is also “paying forward” some of it – this week delivering a gift to a Whangārei woman who’d served them breakfast – and enjoying a little spending money.

“She loves skincare. She’s a normal eight-year-old. She’ll buy herself a lip gloss.”

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

Ian Powell: The Nicolás Maduro kidnapping, US imperialist expansion and implications for New Zealand

By Asia Pacific Report -

January 10, 2026

ANALYSIS: By Ian Powell

There is much to understand from the dramatic kidnapping — abduction is perhaps a better word — of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores last weekend by the United States armed forces, combined with the military attack on the country’s capital Caracas.

This understanding is greatly helped by the comments of the US’s first elected insurrectionist and convicted felon (fraud and sexual assault) President, Donald Trump, at and following his inauguration for his second term nearly 12 months ago.

Trump singled out the 25th US president, William McKinley, who was first elected 1896 but assassinated early into his second term, for praise. Some of this praise was because of his promotion of tariffs.

But it was also because McKinley is regarded as the first imperialist American president. He went to war with Spain and China to claim colonial spoils. Annexations included Puerto Rico and the Philippines (where more than 200,000 Filipinos were killed).

Far and hard right politics, fascism and narcissism
For context, the current US government under Trump’s leadership is a mix of far and hard right politics.

I have discussed this in a previous article (November 3) describing how the far right is successfully cannibalising the mainstream rightwing internationally (including its implications for Aotearoa New Zealand).

Residing within the far right is fascism. Considering Trump and some of his cabinet members and key staff to be fascists is a very reasonable conclusion to draw.

One of the characteristics of many fascists is narcissism; a personality disorder recognised as a mental health condition; an excessive preoccupation with oneself and one’s own needs, often at the expense of others.

Blend narcissism and fascism (or even wider far right beliefs) together and you have an absence of empathy and indifference to harmful consequences of their actions on others.

Even intelligent people within this subset find their narrow paradigms shut out to consideration of the tactical and strategic errors (“own goals”) that might arise out of their decision-making.

Recommended reading and watching
There has been much public commentary on the violent assault on Venezuela and the kidnapping/abduction of its president and First Lady. Three have stood out for me.

British journalist Owen Jones . . . lively empirically based passion on Trump’s chaos. Image: Battlelines

One is British leftwing journalist, commentator, author and activist Owen Jones. He speaks with lively empirically based passion. In his Battlelines publication (Substack, January 4) he didn’t pull his punches about global anarchy.

The second commentary digs deep. It is a 31-minute interview by Venezuelanalysis (January 4) with Caracas based analysts Steve Ellner and Ricardo Vaz: Venezuela: Trump’s war for oil and domination is a war crime.

I strongly recommend watching it. In addition to the military violence and abduction, they address Trump’s declaration that Washington will take control of Venezuela’s oil and effectively run the country, warning that the operation constitutes an unlawful use of force.

[embedded content]
Venezuela: Trump’s war for oil.

They also refer to the extrajudicial killings on Venezuelan fishing boats at sea as violations of international law and Venezuelan sovereignty.

The third is a recommended read of an online article (January 6) by Helen Yaffe, professor of Latin American political economy (Glasgow University): What is the US doing in Venezuela.

As well as describing the dramatic events, Dr Yaffe puts them in both their historical and current political contexts.

The absurd: Maduro’s machine gun
Trump’s justifications range from the absurd to the manufactured to the overstated. But one justification is absolutely on the mark. His narcissism is ironically beneficial at least from the perspective of analysis.

In openly exposing that that this is all about naked power Trump and his coterie don’t care that he can be easily caught out over fabrication and inconsistencies. If one believes that they are all-powerful, why should they care.

The absurd justification for the legal case against Nicolás Maduro is that he had a machine gun in his possession.

Putting aside the fact that the risk of what might happen (foreign military abduction) did actually occur, arguing this in a country where machine guns are easily and lawfully accessible — really.

The manufactured: narcotrafficking
The biggest fabrication, arguably exceeded the US government’s false “weapons of mass destruction” claim used to justify the disastrous invasion of Iraq over two decades ago, was to blame Venezuela, Maduro in particular, for the US fentanyl epidemic.

It even called it a “weapon of mass destruction”.

Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores . . . victims of fabricated accusations. Image: Wikimedia Commons

Consider the following facts that completely discredit Trump’s fabrication:

In its March 2025 report the US State Department identified Mexico as the sole source of fentanyl entering the United States. United Nations investigations into fentanyl distribution also don’t identify Venezuela as a producer, let alone a supplier.
Trump claims that Maduro leads a so-called Venezuelan “Cartel of the Suns” that traffics narcotics, including fentanyl, into the US. In fact, this is a politically manufactured fantasy. There is no such organisation as has just been acknowledged in the last few days by the US Department of Justice.
In 2024, Honduran ex-president Juan Orlando Hernández was convicted in a US court and sentenced to 45 years for conspiring to smuggle over 400 tons of cocaine into the US. Last November, Trump pardoned this narcotrafficker.

The overstated: oil
Many believe that the US invasion is all or primarily about oil. Certainly Trump’s own words and actions encourage this belief. After all, Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves.

However, since Trump’s sanctions targeting its oil sector back in 2017, Venezuela’s exports to the US have plummeted. Instead, China has become its biggest importer.

Last November, Trump released a US National Security Strategy for Latin America. It declared that “Restoring American energy dominance (in oil, gas, coal, and nuclear) and reshoring the necessary key energy components is a top strategic priority”.

However, while important, oil profiteering is not the prime driver of the US assault on Venezuelan sovereignty. Although Venezuela has huge oil reserves, it is heavy oil which is more difficult to fully process.

Instead, its oil reserves are a consequence of a wider geopolitical agenda sometimes called “spheres of influence”. While intricately linked, US oil sanctions are more a weapon than a driver of the imperialist assault on Venezuela.

(Original Caption) 1912-Painting by Clyde De Land of the birth of the Monroe Doctrine, (1823). (L TO R): John Irving Adams; William Harris Crawford; William Wirt; President James Monroe; John Caldwell Calhoun; Daniel D. Tompkins; and John McLean.

” data-medium-file=”https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/james-munroe-and-munroe-doctrince-getty-images.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://politicalbytes.blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/james-munroe-and-munroe-doctrince-getty-images.jpg?w=612″/>

President James Munroe and Munroe Doctrine . . . Trump is reinventing the Doctrine to extend US colonial power throughout the Americas. Image: politicalbytes.blog

The on the mark justification
Where the United States’ justification was on the mark comes from Donald Trump’s above-mentioned praise for the first “American imperialist president” William McKinley.

Consistent with this praise, through misrepresentation, Trump has drawn upon what is known as the “Munroe Doctrine”.

This Doctrine was named after President James Monroe who was the fifth US president (1817-1825). Munroe was both an original Founding Father of US independence and the last Founding Father to serve as president.

The Munroe Doctrine was issued in 1823, less than 50 years after US independence was declared and 34 years before its constitution was approved. It was a young developing country; not that long ago itself comprising 13 different British colonies.

The Doctrine was a policy of limiting European colonialism in the Americas but not to replace it with American colonialisation because it lacked both the inclination and means to achieve this. It was more aligned in principle with non-colonial states in the region.

However, Trump is reinventing the Doctrine to extend US colonial power throughout the Americas. This is what the National Security Strategy is all about.

The attack on Venezuela is an endeavour — among other things — to:

impose US hegemony in Latin America;
exploit Venezuela’s natural resources (oil, gas, critical minerals, and rare earth elements) as part of an attempt to build a new supply chain in the Western Hemisphere;
cut off Latin America’s ties with other countries, particularly its biggest competitor China;
threaten other leftwing or progressive governments in the continent;
destroy the project of regional integration in Latin America and the Caribbean; and
sabotage “Global South” unity over supporting Palestine and other liberation struggles.

Where to next?
I have deliberately not discussed related issues such as the nature of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela along with the longstanding United States hostility towards it beginning in the latter part of Bill Clinton’s presidency, and the entrenched and violent far right opposition to it.

I have also not discussed the impact of the sudden drop in oil prices in 2014, the impact of accelerating US economic warfare (sanctions) since 2015, and the controversy over last year’s presidential elections.

As an aside these elections in my view were imperfect but legitimate. Further, Trump has been explicit — he isn’t interested in “restoring democracy” or “democratic transition”; nor does he rate the alternative Venezuelan far right led by Maria Corina Machado stating that she didn’t have the support to run the country.

These exclusions are because I don’t want to distract from the greater priority being regional and global seriousness of the US’s military aggression (including abductions) towards the sovereignty of Venezuela and its people.

The US aggression is part of a wider plan to extend US domination across the Americas and beyond, consistent with its above-mentioned National Security Strategy which, in turn, is based on a misrepresentation of the anti-colonial 1823 Munroe Doctrine.

Even Greenland is on Trump’s takeover list. Image: politicalbytes.blog/The Guardian

Trump has explicitly signalled Cuba, Mexico, and Columbia as the next likely targets. Brazil and Uruguay can’t be ignored either. Even Greenland is expressly on his list.

Quite simply, the sovereignty of most Latin American and other more vulnerable countries that don’t comply with the US’s narcissistic far right — including fascist — leadership’s agenda are at risk.

What about New Zealand?
New Zealand is in a difficult position. The government’s public response has been underwhelming although not as bad as the sycophantic United Kingdom government.

Prime Minister Luxon’s response to US Venezuelan invasion and illegal abductions. Image: politicalbytes.blog/Hubbard,/The Post)

Luxon’s government, with Winston Peters as foreign minister, has been slowly weaning New Zealand away from its international neutrality position to one increasingly closer to that of the United States.

The extensive exposure of this blatant and violent US display of power-grabbing makes public justifying this policy shift much more difficult.

Robert Patman, professor of international relations at Otago University discusses this in The Conversation (January 5): NZ faces a foreign policy reckoning.

Much more direct is Bryce Edwards’ piece published by the Democracy Project and Asia Pacific Report (January 7): NZ’s craven stance on the US invasion of Venezuela.

As the narcissism of fascism and the far right continues to push the parameters of their power, an already unsafe world is becoming increasingly more dangerous and our government’s response suggests increasing sycophantic timidity.

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

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

As the Arctic warms up, the race to control the region is growing ever hotter

By The Conversation -

January 10, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Klaus Dodds, Interim Dean, Faculty of Science & Technology, Middlesex University

Donald Trump and his senior officials insist that Greenland must become part of the US. This is for national security purposes, they say, maintaining that Denmark, of which Greenland is a constituent part, is not investing enough in defending the strategically vital region beyond – as the US president put it – adding “one more dog sled”.

The 1951 defence agreement between Denmark and the US is likely to be the first casualty of any hostile American takeover, since article 2 of that agreement recognises explicit Danish sovereignty over Greenland.

Framing this dispute as an issue of security ignores the fact that for the past 70 years, the US military has largely had a free hand in how it uses its military facilities in the northwest of Greenland to conduct strategic space and hemispheric defence – without interference from Copenhagen.

But America’s 2025 national security strategy, released last November, speaks of establishing US dominance in the western hemisphere, including Greenland. It shifts attention away from great power competition to a world shaped decisively by the interests and wishes of “larger, richer and stronger nations”.

If spheres of influence and domination are back in vogue, then smaller economies including Denmark and even Canada come under direct threat. Whether faced with dismemberment or incorporation into the US, the prospects are deeply concerning.

But the current dramas affecting the Arctic region cannot be blamed entirely on Trump. Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has played his part too. Approaching the fourth anniversary of his country’s invasion of Ukraine, it is not hard to discern how a costly conflict in one part of Europe has had direct implications for other northern European territories.

Soon after Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the intergovernmental Arctic Council was suspended because seven out out of the eight Arctic states (Canada, Denmark-Greenland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the US) decided they could no longer work with the largest Arctic state, Russia.

The Arctic Council was widely regarded as the centrepiece of what a circumpolar Arctic could achieve, working hard to construct key issues such as environmental protection, sustainable development and scientific collaboration. While the Arctic states could freely diverge from one another on non-Arctic matters, there was a superstructure of working groups and taskforces that generated notable scientific and technical reports, alongside the Arctic Economic Council.

Ukraine shattered all of that. Finland and Sweden joined Nato in 2023. Russia pivoted towards China and India, a shift that started after the first round of sanctions following its illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The Arctic has fragmented into Russo-Asian and Euro-American segments. Western scientists are no longer able to access and work with Russian scientists, and circumpolar collaboration is suspended.

Some bilateral cooperation remains between countries such as Norway and Russia over areas of mutual interest, including managed fisheries in the Barents Sea and search and rescue. But high-level political engagement is now impossible.

Vector map of the Arctic — Contested: the Arctic is increasingly seen as a potential area of conflict as the competition for great power status between Russia, China and the US develops.
Dimitrios Karamitros/Shutterstock

Russia is instead likely to keep exploring ways of engaging with its Brics-plus group of partners including China, India, UAE and Saudi Arabia – both through direct economic trade, and in scientific projects in Svalbard and the vast Russian north.

Even if there is a peace settlement involving Ukraine, a return to normality seems impossible given the gravity of Russian operations in areas such as critical infrastructure sabotage, shadow fleet operations, and disinformation. Russia is engaged in risky and provocative behaviour, designed to be both disorientating and costly to its recipients.

It is no exaggeration to say that Europe’s Arctic states – and their close allies including the UK, Estonia and Poland – are now part of an arc of crisis that stretches from Svalbard and the High North of Europe to the Baltic Sea region and Ukraine. The long-held idea of the Arctic being a zone of peace and cooperation is an illusion.

Trump, Putin and the new great game

The US president wants Greenland – and expects to get it. There might be a strong element of ego-politics rather than geopolitics to this quest. Making America great again appears (in Trump’s eyes) to involve making it larger – and grabbing resources is part and parcel of that ambition.

Greenland’s resource potential has been repeatedly cited – as has the enhanced shipping activity of China and Russia, which has elevated concerns that US national security might be jeopardised.

2026 could see a slew of annexation and territorial swaps. For example, Trump takes Greenland while Putin takes the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. After all, neither leader is terribly invested in international treaties and organisations.

A cynical deal could also be done to allow Putin to have his way with Ukraine. The ground would thus be prepared for a new world order in which Putin, China’s president Xi Jinping and Trump all have their spheres of domination, not just influence.

A smaller group of regional superpowers might also be granted their own spheres, with Middle East-based countries looming large in that accommodation alongside the other global superpower, India. The idea might be that a new group of ten-or-so countries would create their new standard operating procedures. Venezuela was just the start, in other words.

What all of this would mean for the Arctic region, if it came to pass, is multifaceted. But above all, European Arctic states would no longer have any security guarantees from the US.

Difficult choices

Whatever happens, the 1951 defence agreement is a cold war relic that did not protect Denmark from great power overreach. The US stationed nuclear-armed bombers in Greenland in the late 1950s without bothering to consult Copenhagen.

Nato unity has now been jeopardised, and Norway and the UK face some difficult choices. Norway needs the US (and Russia) to respect its sovereignty over Svalbard, and it needs the US not to abandon the Nato article 5 commitment to collective defence. Meanwhile, as the UK and Norway work closely on North Atlantic anti-submarine defence, they need to focus on deterring Russia, rather than having to deter a hostile US as well.

American dominance and Russian belligerence are clearly taking their toll – at a time when the warming of the Arctic is having increasingly adverse effects on local and regional ecologies, and Indigenous and other communities in the far north. The Arctic is melting, thawing and becoming more flammable – and geopolitical fuel is being added to the fire.

Klaus Dodds 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. He is the coauthor of Unfrozen: The Fight for the Future of the Arctic.

– ref. As the Arctic warms up, the race to control the region is growing ever hotter – https://theconversation.com/as-the-arctic-warms-up-the-race-to-control-the-region-is-growing-ever-hotter-273118

Four ways to understand what’s going on with the US, Denmark and Greenland

By The Conversation -

January 10, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Manners, Professor, Department of Political Science, Lund University

European countries, and Denmark in particular, are scrambling to respond to threats from US officials over the future of Greenland.

Having successfully taken out the leadership of Venezuela in a raid on January 3, an emboldened US government is talking about simply taking Greenland for itself.

Various European leaders have expressed their concern but haven’t been able to formulate a coherent response to the betrayal by a supposed ally.

Since the September 11 attacks in 2001, Danish governments have willingly participated in US-led invasions of Afghanistan (2001-2021) and Iraq (2003-2007). The rightward movement across the Danish political spectrum had led to Denmark rejecting some Nordic and EU cooperation in favour of pro-US transatlanticism.

However, the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a rethink of Danish foreign policy. The country joined the EU’s common security and defence policy and tightened cooperation with recent Nato members Finland and Sweden.

And when Trump came to power for the second time, the chaotic rightward swing of US foreign policy left Denmark reaching out for support from its EU colleagues over the challenge to Greenland.

While a member of the European Union, Denmark has placed itself at the bloc’s periphery since copying the UK in opting out of the euro and from cooperation in justice and home affairs. But any US invasion of Greenland is likely to break Denmark’s fixed exchange rate policy with the euro (and before that the deutschmark) that has been in place since 1982. So there are economic implications as well as territorial.

The fallout from the US’s threats, and certainly any US intervention in Greenland, go much further than Denmark. While the EU tried to stay in step with the US in its support of Ukraine during Joe Biden’s presidency, since the re-election of Trump, EU member states have very much fallen out with the US. During 2025, the US and EU clashed over trade and tariffs, social media regulation, environment and agriculture policies.

But the latest developments demonstrate that Trump’s US can no longer be trusted as a long-term ally – to Greenland and Denmark, the EU and Europe.

This is a crisis engulfing many countries and triggered by many drivers. In order to understand this complex situation, we can use four different analytical approaches from academic thinking. These can help us contextualise not just the Greenland case, but also the emerging multipolar world of “might makes right”.

1. Realism

Currently the most popular approach comes from within the conservative tradition of “realism”. This predicts every state will act in their own national interest.

In this framing, Trump’s actions are part of the emergence of a multipolar world, in which the great powers are the US, China, India and Russia. In this world, it makes sense for Russia to invade Ukraine to counter the US, for the US to seize assets in Venezuela and Greenland to counter China, and for China to invade Taiwan to counter the US.

2. The new elites

Many think that to understand the events of the past few years, including Trump’s return and Vladimir Putin’s foreign policies, you need to look beyond conservative or liberal explanations to seek out who holds power and influence in the global superpowers. That means the wealthy families, corporations and oligarchs who exert control over the politics of the ruling elite through media and campaign power and finance.

In the cases of Venezuela and Greenland there are two factors at work – the US rejection of the rule of law and the desire for personal wealth via energy resources. But the timing is also important. The operation in Venezuela has been the only story to eclipse the Epstein files in the news in many months.

3. The decline of the liberal order

Many academic explanations see these recent events in the context of the decline of a “liberal order” dominated by the US, Europe, the “developed world” and the UN. In this view, the actions of Putin and Trump are seen as the last days of international law, the importance of the UN, and what western nations see as a system based on multilateralism.

However, this approach tends to overlook the continued dominance of the global north in these systems. The lack of support for the US and EU’s defence of Ukraine has been repeatedly demonstrated in the unwillingness of many global south countries, including China and India, to condemn the Russian invasion in the UN general assembly. It would be interesting to see how such voting would play out if it related to a US invasion of Greenland.

4. The planetary approach

The final – and most important – view is found in the planetary politics approach. This approach is based on the simple observation that so many planetary crises, such as global heating, mass extinctions of wildlife, climate refugees, rising autocracy and the return of international conflict are deeply interrelated and so can only be understood when considered together.

From this perspective it is Greenland’s sustainability and Greenlanders’ lives that must shape the understanding of Denmark’s and other European responses to Trump’s claims. It is through acknowledging the deep relationship that indigenous people have to their ecology that solutions can be found.

And Greenlanders have already expressed their vision for the future. Living on the frontline of the climate crisis, they want an economy built on resilience – not on ego-driven political drama.

While it’s quick and easy to to judge the events in Venezuela or Greenland in terms of the daily news cycle, the four perspectives set out here force people to think for themselves how best to understand complex international crises.

There is, however, a final observation to emphasise. Only one of these perspectives is likely to bring any way of thinking ourselves out of our planetary political crisis.

Ian Manners has received funding from EU Horizon Europe, Independent Research Fund Denmark, and Riksbankens Jubileumsfond.

– ref. Four ways to understand what’s going on with the US, Denmark and Greenland – https://theconversation.com/four-ways-to-understand-whats-going-on-with-the-us-denmark-and-greenland-272873

As authors abandon Adelaide Writers’ Week after cancelling of Randa Abdel-Fattah, is free speech in tatters?

By The Conversation -

January 10, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne

The decision by the Adelaide Festival Board to exclude Palestinian Australian author and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah from Adelaide Writers’ Week on the grounds of “cultural sensitivity” is based on a dangerously broad and vague criterion for suppressing free speech.

The board appears to have overruled Writer’s Week director Louise Adler to remove Abdel-Fattah from the program, arguing it would not be culturally sensitive to include her so soon after the Bondi terror attacks, due to her “past statements”.

In response, more than 30 leading authors have withdrawn from Writer’s Week, which begins on February 28.

They include international headliners such as novelist and essayist Zadie Smith and Greece’s Yanis Varoufakis, Miles Franklin award-winning authors Michelle de Kretser and Melissa Lucashenko, and Australian Society of Authors chair Jennifer Mills, who called the decision “completely unacceptable”.

The board yesterday issued a statement setting the decision against the background of the Bondi terrorist atrocity of 14 December 2025, invoking what it calls “the current national community context” and what it sees at the festival’s role in “promoting social cohesion”:

Whilst we do not suggest in any way that Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah’s [sic] or her writings have any connection with the tragedy at Bondi, given her past statements we have formed the view that it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi.

So the board’s position is that neither Abdel-Fattah’s writing nor Abdel-Fattah herself have anything to do with the Bondi atrocity. But because of some unspecified “past statements”, she is to be excluded in the interests of social cohesion and some vague notion called the “national community context”.

This decision goes far beyond the established standards embodied in the Racial Discrimination Act, which makes it an offence to “offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate” people because of their race.

It also goes far beyond the ordinary liberal standard articulated in John Stuart Mill’s harm principle: that the right to free speech ends at the point where it does harm to others.

Whose voice is entitled to be heard?

In a statement, Abdel-Fattah accused the festival board of “blatant and shameless” anti-Palestinian racism and censorship. She said the board’s attempt to associate her with the Bondi massacre was “despicable”.

The Board’s reasoning suggests that my mere presence is ‘culturally insensitive’; that I, a Palestinian who had nothing to do with the Bondi atrocity, am somehow a trigger for those in mourning and that I should therefore be persona non grata in cultural circles because my very presence as a Palestinian is threatening and ‘unsafe’.

Abdel-Fattah was to speak about her novel Discipline. It deals in part with a burning issue in media ethics: who is entitled to tell the story? Whose voice is entitled to be heard?

This issue, of particular salience in the coverage of the Gaza genocide, was the subject of the 2024 A.N. Smith lecture in journalism at the University of Melbourne given by the former ABC journalist and now, Guardian podcast host, Nour Haydar.

So Abdel-Fattah’s silencing robs not just the general community but other writers and journalists of an opportunity to reflect on a profoundly complex question.

Nor do the free-speech implications of the festival board’s actions stop there. The board says it has established a sub-committee to “guide” the writers’ festival’s decision-making and that this will include engagement with “government agencies” and “external experts”.

The risks to free speech are obvious.

The decision is also a clear repudiation of the approach taken by Louise Adler, who has previously stood up for the right of Palestinian authors to be heard at the festival. In 2023, three Ukrainian writers and a major sponsor withdrew over the inclusion of two Palestinian authors, who had in different ways likened the state of Israel to Nazism. Adler vowed then not to be dissuaded from creating space for “courageous” discussions of literature and opposing views.

Against that history, it is difficult to believe that Adler would have concurred with the board’s decision to exclude Abdel-Fattah. Approached for her perspective on the events, Adler declined to comment.

Swift and devastating

The reaction from the artistic community has been swift and, for the festival, devastating. The Australia Institute and independent publisher Pink Shorts Press have withdrawn all of their participants. Among more than 30 local authors to have pulled out are poet Evelyn Araluen, novelist Jane Caro, and historians Clare Wright and Peter FitzSimons.

Also among the authors to withdraw is Peter Greste who, as a former prisoner of the Egyptian government for the crime of being a journalist, knows exactly where this kind of oppression leads. “We do not help social cohesion by silencing voices,” he posted on X.

“To be clear, I do not agree with everything Randa says. […] But I also believe that now is the time we should be having difficult conversations,” Greste told The Conversation via email.

At the time of writing, this message had been posted on the Writers’ Week website:

In respect of the wishes of the writers who have recently indicated their withdrawal from the Writers’ Week 2026 program we have temporarily unpublished the list of participants and events while we work through changes to the website.

An extraordinary aspect of this case is that the festival board seems not to have learnt from the experience of other arts bodies on the question of Gaza. Nor has it absorbed the lessons of principle they taught.

Last August, the Bendigo Writers’ Festival was gutted when around 50 writers withdrew over the last-minute issuing of a code of conduct. Among other things, the code required participants to “avoid language or topics that could be considered inflammatory, divisive or disrespectful”.

And in July 2025, Australia’s premier arts funding body, Creative Australia, backflipped on a decision to remove the artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino as Australia’s representatives at this year’s Venice Biennale.

Once again, there was outrage in the artistic community about what was seen as an attack on free speech. This led to a review. It found that, rather than Sabsabi’s work being contentious, the issue was the fact that he was of Middle Eastern background “at a time when conflict in that region was so emotive and polarising”.

Ironically, given the present case, it was Louise Adler who drew attention then to the need for arts bodies to be aware of the political environment in which they operated and to provide risk assessments to their “increasingly risk-averse boards”.

The Adelaide Festival Board is chaired by marketing executive Tracy Whiting AM. It includes journalist and communications strategist Daniela Ritorto and the managing director of Adelaide Airport, Brenton Cox, but no artists.

A South Australian government spokesperson told the ABC SA Premier Peter Malinauskas supported the board’s decision.

There are many lessons here. Free speech should be protected up to the point where it does unjustifiable harm. The arts, along with the media, are the prime means by which the right of free speech is made real. And these institutions have an obligation to stand firm in the face of objections from sectional interests.

Finally, on the issue of social cohesion it might be observed that in the black horror of the terrorists’ assault at Bondi, one gleam of light shone through. His name is Ahmed al-Ahmed.

Denis Muller 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. As authors abandon Adelaide Writers’ Week after cancelling of Randa Abdel-Fattah, is free speech in tatters? – https://theconversation.com/as-authors-abandon-adelaide-writers-week-after-cancelling-of-randa-abdel-fattah-is-free-speech-in-tatters-273020

Black Cap debutant overcome by cricket-mad India

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Central Districts spin bowler Jayden Lennox. PHOTOSPORT

Central Districts bowler Jayden Lennox admits to a sensory overload after arriving in India with hopes of playing his first full international for New Zealand.

The left arm spinner is a part of the Black Caps ODI squad that opens their three match series against India in Vadodara on Sunday night.

Thirty-one-old Lennox, who debuted for Central in 2021, said arriving in cricket-mad India was something special.

“Getting in at 2am and there being people outside the hotel waiting for your arrival is pretty intimidating when you come from Hawke’s Bay where there are not many people around ever,” Lennox said.

“So I suppose it has been a frenetic entry to the international scene and seeing how frantic the whole thing is is quite an overload for the senses.”

Lennox has been on New Zealand Cricket’s radar for a couple of years and played for New Zealand A last year.

He is hoping to get some game time in a country that is known for its slow bowling conditions.

“For someone like me that is passionate about spin bowling to come to India and potentially debut is exciting.

“This sits at the top of the ledger for venues to come to and being fully immersed in a place like this is special.

“The general buzz of cricket in India is something special to be a part of.” he said.

Lennox said the main focus for him so far had been to back what he does and what has made him successful.

He said his game plan is simple.

“My success has come from consistently putting performances on the park, not necessarily continuous match-winning performances but contributing throughout seasons and working towards winning trophies. That’s what I pride myself on.”

If selected to play Lennox will take the field at the new Baroda Cricket Stadium in front of a sell-out 40,000 fans.

“Knowing that everything single seat is going to have someone sitting in it yelling at you is pretty daunting.

“But that is the part of the experience of being here living the atmosphere and getting the chance to have a crack in front of 40,000 people.”

Following the ODI series the Black Caps and India will play five T20 internationals before the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India in February.

Blacks Caps ODI schedule in India

1st ODI 9pm Sunday 11 Jan, Vadodara

2nd ODI 9pm Wednesday 14 Jan, Rajkot

3rd ODI 9pm Sunday 18 Jan, Indore

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

Mandy Boyd becomes only third woman to win 10 national titles

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Christchurch bowler Mandy Boyd. PHOTOSPORT

Christchurch bowler Mandy Boyd has joined an exclusive club, winning the women’s singles at the National Lawn Bowls Championship to claim her 10th national title.

Competing on her home turf of Elmwood Park, Boyd proved too strong for Leanne Poulson of Takapuna, winning 21-16 in a final that went down to the wire.

The victory marks Boyd’s first national singles title and caps off a stellar week in which she also won the women’s pairs alongside Kirsten Edwards.

The 34-year-old now boasts 10 national titles, made up of one singles, three pairs, and six fours titles.

“I’ve lost two national singles finals in the past so it’s nice to finally win one,” Boyd said.

“To find some form in the singles has been awesome, it’s been a great week and it’s an amazing way to get to title number ten.”

The win means Boyd joins Millie Khan and Cis Winstanley as one of only three Kiwi women to win 10 or more national titles.

The final of the men’s pairs brothers Ethan and Hamish Kelleher (Halswell) beat Gary Lawson (Elmwood Park) and Tony Grantham (Mt Albert) 15-14.

Darron Wolland (Balcutha) beat Jono Radka (Papanui) 21-2 in the Open Disability Singles.

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

Homicide inquiry begins after man fatally shot in south Auckland

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

AFP / Andri Tambunan

Police have launched a homicide investigation following the death of a man in the south Auckland suburb of Manurewa.

Emergency services were called to Balfour Road around 11.10pm on Friday after reports that a man had been shot.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Cordons remain in place, while police conduct a scene examination at the address.

A postmortem examination will take place tomorrow.

Residents of the area can expect to see an increased police presence as they make enquiries.

Police believe there is no ongoing risk to the public.

Anyone with information on the incident can contact police on the number 105, and can quote reference 260109/6338.

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

Pod of whales restrands at Farewell Spit

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Volunteers working at Farewell Spit to try and keep the whales cool before they refloated on the high tide. Supplied / Project Jonah

The pod of 15 beached whales which were refloated at Farewell Spit, has restranded overnight.

More than 50 stranded in two locations in Golden Bay on Thursday and at least six have died.

Conservation group Project Jonah says the whales have now beached for a third time and are starting to show signs of fatigue.

It says people with wetsuits wanting to help are welcome, but it will limit the number of volunteers so as not to stress the whales.

Last night a Project Jonah spokesperson said 15 of the stranded whales were swimming freely in the bay.

The spokesperson said the remaining whales are still in the tidal zone, but are showing signs of encouraging behaviour.

The Department of Conservation which is also assisting at the site of the latest stranding said Farewell Spit, where whales frequently strand at the top of the South Island, “is a naturally occurring “whale trap” that occurs along a migratory route for long-finned pilot whales in New Zealand”.

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

Body found in Christchurch red zone

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

Police are investigating after a body was found in Christchurch’s red zone.

Emergency services were called to Dunair Drive in the suburb of Burwood just after 6pm on Friday.

Google Maps

The death is being treated as unexplained.

Cordons are in place between Brooker Ave and New Brighton Road.

Members of the public can expect to see a police presence as the scene is investigated, a spokesperson said.

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

Transporting NZ warns of ‘double-dipping’ motorists with tolls on existing roads

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

The bill also sought to restrict heavy vehicles from driving alternative routes that could avoid tolled sections. Supplied via LDR

The road freight industry says a proposal to add tolls to existing roads is “double-dipping” motorists for work already paid for through taxes and road-user charges.

Submissions closed this week on the government’s Land Transport (Revenue) Amendment Bill, which would allow tolls to be charged on existing roads, where there may be a benefit from newer projects in the same corridor.

Transporting New Zealand chief executive Dom Kalasih said the public was unlikely to support the move during the cost-of-living crisis.

“A tolled road should be tolled because it provides a benefit,” Kalasih said. “If you are tolling the whole network, then everyone’s paying, rather than just those that are benefiting from the new road.”

The bill also sought to restrict heavy vehicles from driving alternative routes that could avoid tolled sections.

“Operators and drivers are in the best position to decide what route to take,” Kalasih said. “There are legitimate reasons why an alternative route may be the better fit for a particular job, including fuel use, gradient, rest and refreshment facilities, and route efficiency.”

He said Transmission Gully – north of Wellington – was a route that drivers chose to use, despite the steepness of the route incurring greater fuel costs.

“They are still using it, because it has other benefits over [alternative route] State Highway 59. It’s easier, it’s safer, it’s marginally faster.

“The government shouldn’t have to say ‘all trucks must use only this route’. If that is the best solution the market should determine that.”

He said exceptions to the rule – for deliveries or access to premises along the restricted routes – would also be difficult to enforce and would likely adversely impact “bona fide” users.

“Chances are how it would work is the police would give an infringement notice, and then that truck or their operator would have to defend it, if they had been there for bona fide reasons. We think that’s an unnecessary compliance cost and it could be avoided.”

However Kalasih said the group was in favour of the bill’s road-user charges modernisation elements, which included changes enabling greater use of technology, more flexible payment options and the removal of the requirement to display a RUC label.

“These RUC changes will reduce unnecessary administration and compliance costs for transport operators and motorists, and support the transition toward a universal RUC system over time,” he said.

“Moving from petrol excise duty being collected at the pump to universal RUC is a good idea, because the way income from petrol excise duty is being collected and the way the fleet is changing means that side of revenue is falling. Demand for petrol use is reducing.

“There’s actually not a great correlation between petrol use and the road cost, whereas the road user charges system – in that cost allocation model – that’s got a much stronger correlation.

“It’s better to capture it through the road-user charges system than through petrol tax.”

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

From CVs to interviews: How to job hunt in a tough employment market

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellingtonian Annalese Booker sometimes spends up to 12 hours on a single job application, in the hopes of standing out in a tough market.

She took voluntary redundancy in 2024 after nearly a decade at the same organisation. She planned to sample different industries through contract work before settling into a permanent role. In hindsight, she feels she chose the worst possible time.

New Zealand’s unemployment rate has risen to 5.3 percent, according to Stats NZ, with nearly 15 percent of unemployed people out of work for more than a year.

Annalese Booker is a senior marketing leader.

Supplied / Annalese Booker

. Jared Luff, general manager of The Recruitment Network, says summer event roles that once absorbed young job seekers have largely dried up over the past two years.

His agency, which covers roles from “paddock to plate”, now receives about 500 applications a day. Career Development Association of New Zealand executive director Jennie Miller likens it to the influx seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, when dozens of applicants quickly became hundreds.

Is now a good time to apply?

It depends on the role. Luff says summer can still offer opportunities in aged care, health and hospitality as permanent staff take leave, while education-related work often slows or shuts down.

The Recruitment Network general manager Jared Luff.

Supplied

For short-term or entry-level roles, applying late in the year can pay off. For senior or long-term positions, Luff advises applying early, as recruiters often shortlist candidates as soon as they return from leave.

What makes a strong CV and cover letter?

Miller says the process starts well before writing a CV. Job seekers need to be clear on their needs and goals (what level of preparedness are you at, what have you already tried, what do you like doing and who might pay you for it, what is your financial position) — and target roles accordingly.

CV consultant Sarah Wrightson, who has helped Booker in her job search, recommends keeping it simple, relevant and results-focused. Two pages is ideal for most roles; one page is fine for those starting out. Recent achievements should be written clearly in bullet points. Volunteering and courses can add value.

Sarah Wrightson runs a Waikato-based service helping job-seekers tailor their profiles and prepare them for job interviews.

Ryan’s Daughter Photography by Kate Ryan

If a recruiter can’t find the information they need within 30 seconds, they’ll probably move on, Wrightson says. So structure is important: Start with a short profile, move into your skills, work history, qualifications and end with referees (these should be chosen for their insight into you – not just seniority).

Many employers use automated Applicant Tracking Systems so use keywords from the job listing, include clear headings instead of creative ones like ‘my journey’, and save your file as a Word or PDF file.

Cover letters should be brief and personal, Wrightson adds, and never repeat the CV. Miller advises cutting generic openings and addressing the letter to a named recruiter where possible.

“You get about seven seconds with the eyes of a recruiter, apparently. You’ve got to really be personal and relevant.”

Should you pay for professional help?

Miller says paid career support can be worthwhile for people feeling stuck. A 2014 US meta-analysis found job search interventions helped people find work more than twice as fast.

Luff says professional help is usually unnecessary for lower-skilled roles but can be useful for senior or executive positions.

Wrightson, who turned her Waikato-based service into a full-time job after being made redundant herself, says most clients either undersell themselves or overcomplicate their experience.

“My job is to pull out the gold, the good stuff, the gold nuggets. So like the results, the stories and put it in a language that employers can understand.”

How important is LinkedIn?

Being active on LinkedIn can show you’re serious about getting a job, Sarah Wrightson says. (file image)

Unsplash / Souvik Banerjee

Wrightson describes it as a “digital elevator pitch” that shows your voice, values and network.

A half-finished profile can signal a lack of seriousness in searching for a job, she says. Focus on your headline, ‘about you’ section and try to comment or make posts every now and then to show you’re active.

Luff says LinkedIn can be used to cross-check experience, particularly for senior roles.

Is it okay to use AI?

Booker uses AI to research industries and refine her writing.

Wrightson says you can use AI to help, but “write for humans”. “Once it gets past the system, a real person is still going to want to like what they see and you want to make it easy for them to quickly see that you are a strong match for the job.”

Miller notes employers can usually spot AI use and extensive use can throw doubt on your CV.

Is applying online enough?

Not always. Networking, while it may be uncomfortable, can make a difference. That might mean attending events, reaching out on LinkedIn, or requesting informational interviews to learn about organisations without immediately pitching for a role. Miller says these conversations can and do lead to jobs – as she’s tried it herself.

If you’re looking local, drive around your neighbourhood to give you an idea.

Booker has even tried “left-field” approaches such as sending small gifts with links to her online profile. While these sometimes sparked conversations, she believes referrals were most effective — though increasingly competitive.

On the other hand, Luff believes the jobs his agency caters for would be mostly filled through the standard process but occasionally referrals may work.

I’ve got an interview – what now?

Attitude and preparation are key for job interviews. (file image)

Unsplash / Getty Images

Luff says personality can matter more than experience in junior hospitality roles.

Wrightson advises revisiting the job ad, preparing examples, practising answers out loud, and dressing one step up from usual workwear

“Interviews are a two-way conversation. They’re not an interrogation. So you’re also trying to figure out if they are the right fit for you.”

Candidates should avoid oversharing about toxic workplaces, Luff warns, but can be open about redundancies. Salary negotiation depends on experience, though going more than 10 percent above an offer may be unrealistic.

If you don’t hear back, Luff recommends waiting at least a week before following up.

Coping with rejection

Repeated rejection can be demoralising, particularly after redundancy. Wrightson stresses the importance of being kind to yourself.

Miller agrees it’s hard but says the process can ultimately lead to a better-fit role.

For Booker, short-term contracts have helped her see how transferable her skills are – even if the process has been exhausting.

“It’s an emotional rollercoaster looking for work and sometimes you sort of have regrets that you left what you had,” she says. “It’s just finding those opportunities more often when, again, you’re up against a really competitive market, and will next year be any different?”

*Get personalised career advice via 0800 222 733 or email direct_careers@msd.govt.nz. University students and graduates can also access career development services through their institutions, sometimes for up to three years after graduating.

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

2026 sporting bucket list – the year’s biggest events

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Argentina celebrate their 2022 FIFA World Cup success. KEITA IIJIMA / AFP

As another year draws to a close, it’s time to look forward to the major sporting events of the coming year.

For many, the highlight will be the FIFA Football World Cup, held every four years, after a seemingly never-ending qualification process

More than 200 teams began that long road to the expanded tournament, which will run over more than a month and consist of 104 games, up from 64 four years ago.

We’ve gathered some of the year’s other marquee international events, along with the most anticipated local events.

Mark them on your calendars now.

January

PDC World Darts Championship 11 December-3 January Alexandra Palace, London

Even if you struggle with darts as a legitimate sport, you can’t help but be impressed by the passion shown by the 3000 mostly drunken and costumed fans cramming into the famed ‘Ally Pally’ every year.

The pub pastime has taken on cult popularity, with the winner of this event taking home one million pounds (NZ$2.3m), doubling last year’s purse.

Luke Littler celebrates victory on his way to the world darts crown. Photosport

A field of 128 began the event, with Kiwi Huapai Puha among the first-round casualties and countryman Jonny Tata progressing to the second.

Defending champion is still-teenager Luke Littler, who made the 2024 final as a 16-year-old, before claiming the crown this year. He has since risen to top ranking in the world, capturing the imagination of even non-darts fans, and may dominate this championship for a very long time indeed.

ASB Classic (tennis) 5-18 January Auckland

Australia Open (tennis) 18 January-1 February Melbourne

February

Winter Olympics 6-22 February Milano Cortina, Italy

Gone are the days when the showpiece on snow and ice meant little to New Zealand.

With just a silver medal to show for almost 70 years of participation, snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and freeskier Nico Porteous have put Kiwi winter sports on the map in recent years, both grabbing gold at Beijing in 2022.

At the grand old age of 24, Porteous is now retired, but Sadowski-Synnott will defend her slopestyle crown as reigning world and X-Games champion, overcoming injury to return to competition this year.

Skier Alice Robinson has emerged as a medal contender at giant slalom, where she has two World Cup victories and No.1 ranking at the end of the year.

Alice Robinson in World Cup Super G action at St Mortiz. FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

Even with Porteous gone, New Zealand will field a strong freestyle skiing contingent, led by world big air and X-Games halfpipe champion Luca Harrington, and world halfpipe champion Fin Melville Ives.

Men’s T20 World Cup 7 February-8 March India & Sri Lanka

NFL Super Bowl LX 8 February Santa Clara, California

American football has been tipped on its head this season, with the unexpectedly sudden demise of Kansas City Chiefs, who have contested five of the last six Super Bowls, winning three.

Defending champions Philadelphia Eagles have clinched their division and passage to the playoffs, but their record is just the 10th-best across the competition, with previously unfancied teams like Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars now ahead in the standings.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during Super Bowl LIX. AFP

Just as intriguing, the much-vaunted halftime show will be Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny, whose selection was described as “absolutely ridiculous” by President Donald Trump, with immigration officials threatening to raid the event for illegal immigrants.

Sail Grand Prix Auckland 14/15 February

NASCAR Daytona 500 15 February Florida, US

NZ Open (golf) 26 February-1 March Millbrook Resort, Queenstown

March

Winter Paralympics 6-15 March Milano Cortina, Italy

Australian F1 Grand Prix 8 March Melbourne

Whether you’re a die-hard petrolhead or a recent bandwagon jumper from the Netflix Drive to Survive series, this represents Kiwis’ most convenient chance to see the world’s premier motorsport series up close.

Our own Liam Lawson has clinched his place on the grid for another year – or at least until Red Bull reshuffles their drivers again – and Melbourne marks the first race on the calendar.

Kiwi Liam Lawson crashes out of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. PHOTOSPORT

The programme also includes the second round of Supercars racing for the year, so expect, before they cross the ditch for Taupō and Christchurch.

April

US Masters (golf) 9-12 April Augusta National, Georgia

Taupo Super 440 (Supercars) 10-12 April Taupo International Motorsport Park

Christchurch Super 440 (Supercars) 17-19 April Euromarque Motorsport Park

May

US PGA Championship (golf) 14-17 May Aronimink GC, Pennsylvania

French Open (tennis) 24 May-7 June Stade Roland Garros, Paris

State of Origin I 27 May Sydney

At a time when players are pushing for more international fixtures, the annual three-game series between New South Wales and Queensland is still promoted – by the Aussies – as the pinnacle of rugby league.

After a 12-year span, when the ‘Blues’ claimed the spoils just once, the event has become far more competitive, with the two archrivals splitting honours over the past eight years.

Queensland celebrate their come-from-behind 2025 State of Origin win. AAP / Photosport

Queensland are defending champions, but the last two series have ultimately come down to the third encounter, with losers of the opening game bouncing back to win overall.

While Kiwis have traditionally backed the ‘Maroons’, most would just hope no Warriors players get injured in the brutal exchanges.

June

Monaco F1 Grand Prix 5 June

FIFA World Cup 11 June-19 July Canada, USA & Mexico

This edition of the planet’s most important football tournament will feature an expanded field of 48 teams, including – for just the third time – New Zealand’s All Whites.

The preliminary rounds will be contested across 12 pools of four teams, with the winners and four best second-placed teams progressing to the Round of 16.

The Kiwis have drawn a group that includes Belgium, Egypt and Iran, still chasing their first win at the tournament, after managing three draws in 2010.

Defending champions Argentina will face Algeria, Australia and Jordan early, while England must get past Croatia, Ghana and Panama, if they hope to bring football home, 60 years after its last visit.

Women’s T20 World Cup 12 June-5 July England

The White Ferns will defend their crown, unexpectedly won in 2024, in what shapes as Sophie Devine’s final outing with the national team.

Possibly New Zealand’s finest sporting captain, with the ability to coach the team in the near future, Devine has already retired from the one-day format and it would make sense for her to bow out at the conclusion of this tournament.

New Zealand celebrate their 2024 World Cup victory. AFP / GIUSEPPE CACACE

The Kiwi women were not among the title favourites last time out and probably won’t be again, despite their role as defending champions, but this will be another opportunity to develop the next wave of talent, before the Devine-Bates-Tahuhu era finally ends.

UFC White House 14 June Washington DC

None of you will be surprised that UFC boss Dana White is a Donald Trump supporter – the future US president staged UFC 30 at the Trump Taj Mahal, when no other venues would host it.

White has endorsed Trump at the last three elections, so this feels like a little reward for that backing, while also marking America’s 250th anniversary.

While no details of the card have been finalised, two of mixed martial arts’ biggest names – Conor McGregor and Jon Jones – are reportedly keen to appear.

US President Donald Trump attends UFC 316 at New Jersey. VANESSA CARVALHO/AFP

Security concerns will limit the live audience to just 5000 people, but large screens in a nearby park will cater to 85,000 more.

State of Origin II 17 June Melbourne

US Open (golf) 18-21 June Shinnecock Hills GC, New York

Super Rugby Pacific final 20 June

Wimbledon 29 June-12 July London, England

July

Tour de France 4-26 July Spain/France

State of Origin III 8 July Brisbane

British Open Championship (golf) 16-19 July Royal Birkdale, England

Glasgow Commonwealth Games 23 July-2 August

These Games almost brought the festival to a screeching halt, with Birmingham originally scheduled to host, but promoted up the order, when Durban backed out of the 2022 edition.

Kuala Lumpur, Cardiff, Calgary, Edmonton and Adelaide all withdrew bids, due to cost concerns, before Australia’s state of Victoria won the hosting rights, then cancelled, also due to costs.

Glasgow has stepped up again just 12 years after last staging the Games, ensuring they will survive for now, albeit whittled down to only 10 sports.

Kiwi high jumper Hamish Kerr celebrates Commonwealth Games gold at Birmingham 2022. PHOTOSPORT

Among the casualties are Kiwi staples like rugby sevens, hockey, triathlon, T20 cricket, mountain biking and road cycling. Regardless, there should still be enough for New Zealand to feature prominently on the medal table.

August

All Blacks tour of South Africa 7 August-12 September

The NZ rugby team have not embarked on a full-scale tour of South Africa since 1975, when they played 24 games over three months, including four tests.

The diluted modern version of that odyssey will see them contest four tests – including one at a neutral venue – while also taking on four provincial sides – the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions.

Despite the All Blacks’ apparent tribulations under coach Scott Robertson, these two rivals are still the top two teams in the world and met in the last World Cup final, so this promises to be ideal tune-up for the 2027 event.

All Blacks confront Springboks with a pre-game haka. STEVE HAAG/Photosport

Even without the traditional Rugby Championship, on hiatus until 2027, New Zealand will play 12 tests in 2026, including the inaugural Nations Championship

Little League World Series 20-30 August Williamsport, Pennsylvania, US

Bathurst 1000 (Supercars) 21-23 August Mount Panorama, NSW

Six hours of petrolhead heaven across the Tasman, with Kiwis front and centre among previous winners of ‘The Great Race’.

Just as the Greg Murphy-Scott McLaughlin-Shane van Gisbergen era drew to a close, Matt Payne popped up to grab victory in 2025, despite crossing the finish-line second.

Matt Payne (left) and Garth Tander celebrate their 2025 Bathurst 1000 victory. AAP/Photosport

Look out for Ryan Wood, who qualified third on the grid this year and led briefly late in the race, before suffering mechanical dramas that dropped him to 19th.

US Open (tennis) 31 August-13 September Queens, New York

September

Presidents Cup (golf) 22-27 September Medinah CC, Illinois, US

While it may not be the Ryder Cup – the fierce biennial contest between USA and Europe – this competition at least gives the Americans some much-needed practice at playing nicely together as a team.

The Presidents Cup pits them against golfers from around the rest of the world, not Europe, so the rivalry isn’t as intense. The United States have won 13 of the 15 previous meetings and have lost just once in 1998 at Royal Melbourne.

Ryan Fox celebrates his first PGA Tour victory at Myrtle Beach. AFP / Getty Images / Andy Lyons

New Zealand was last represented by Danny Lee in 2015, when the international team finished within a point of their rivals. Currently ranked 32nd, Ryan Fox stands as the third-best non-American, non-European player in the world and an automatic selection this time.

October

Rugby League World Cup 15 October-15 November Australia, NZ & PNG

Another event that has been passed around like a hot potato, which was originally awarded to USA and Canada, but withdrawn when promoters could not guarantee its delivery.

France inherited the tournament, but also withdrew, so it has landed across the three Pacific nations, although the only game on this side of the Tasman sees the Kiwis take on Cook Islands in the new Christchurch stadium.

The format doesn’t make a lot of sense – Australia and NZ square off in a four-team group, while England, Tonga and Samoa feature in a six-team group that sees its members play only three of their rivals.

NZ Kiwis face a pre-game challenge from Tonga during the Pacific Championship. Photosport

The Kiwis won the 2008 World Cup crown, but failed to make the last two finals, and much will depend on the health of star half Jahrome Hughes, who has missed the last two Pacific Championship campaigns with injury.

November

Melbourne Cup 3 November Flemington Racecourse

The horse race that stops two nations is scheduled for the first Tuesday of every November and holds a special place in the New Zealand sporting landscape.

Last year’s field had no NZ-trained horses, but two NZ-bred entries – Torranzino and Smokin Romans. Incredibly, Australia had only one locally bred horse, with the northern hemsiphere tending to dominate over the past decade.

NZ-born trainer Chris Waller, now based in Sydney, had six horses in the field, while Kiwi jockey James McDonald regulary has his mount near the front at the finish, winning aboard Verry Elleegant in 2021.

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

Sizzling temperatures, strong winds and heavy rain in South Island weather mix

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Several watches and warnings are in place. MetService screenshot

Parts of the South Island are set to swelter on Saturday, but some regions are also bracing for heavy wind and rain throughout the weekend.

Motueka, Blenheim, Kaikōura and Christchurch are under heat alerts, with temperatures expected to hit or exceed 30 degrees.

All up, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/583631/weather-heat-alerts-issued-as-temperatures-soar-across-new-zealand 14 towns and cities around New zealand have heat alerts] today as temperatures continue to climb.

“Records could roll,” MetService said.

It’s going to be a hot weekend with muggy nights

Babies and infants, older people, and those with medical conditions are particularly vulnerable, so check in on each other.

Even if you’re somewhere without heat alerts, here are some good tips for managing the summer heat:… pic.twitter.com/CNPXzeaNFD

— MetService NZ (@MetService) January 8, 2026

MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane says two weather systems are moving across the South Island, with the first beginning early this morning.

“That will bring an increase in wind speed and summer rain for western parts of the country but as we head into Sunday we have a larger weather system that arrives and that also ramps up that rain in the western part of the South Island and strong winds for almost the whole of the South Island.”

The norwesters will drive temperatures up and last overnight in both islands, with temperatures staying in the high teens.

“It will be much warmer than average for some parts of Northland and Coromandel,” on what is shaping as “a classic summer weekend” for the North Island, she says.

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

There are several watches and warnings in place.

Orange heavy rain warnings are in place for Westland and Fiordland, where up to 300mm could fall over a 30-hour period from late tonight.

A heavy rain watch also applies to the ranges of the Grey and Buller districts from midday tomorrow while there’s a strong wind watch for Marlborough, especially about the Sounds and Kaikōura Coast from 1am tomorrow.

An orange strong wind warning has been issued for Canterbury about the High Country and the foothills from 10pm today. Severe gales northwesterlies gusting up to 130 kilometres are predicted.

Heavy rain and strong wind watches are also in place for the headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers in the Arthur’s Pass area.

Heavy rain watches and strong wind watches have also been issued for the weekend for the headwaters of the Otago lakes and rivers, Fiordland, Otago, Southland and Stewart Island.

North Island also sweltering

Paihia and Russell, Whangārei, Whitianga, Tauranga, Whakatāne, Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Masterton are also under heat alerts today.

Hastings is likely to be the hottest place with 35 degrees forecast and that’s due to climb to 38 degrees on Sunday – 12.7 degrees above average.

Fire bans in place

Fire and Emergency warned the weekend’s conditions – heat, wind and low humidity – were a “perfect storm” for wildfires.

The risk was highest in Canterbury, Marlborough, Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay, Tai Rāwhiti, and Northland, it said.

In several areas across the country fires are banned or restricted.

Fire and Emergency’s map of where fires are banned, or restricted, across the motu. FENZ

Red zones have a total fire ban, and in yellow zones, people may need to apply for a permit – go to checkitsalright.nz to check and apply.

All permits in Canterbury are suspended from midnight Friday until 8am on Monday.

There’s no permit needed in green zones.

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

Butter, margarine or nut spreads: which is best?

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

There are a multitude of options at the supermarket when it comes to butters and spreads.

Many of us have a passionate preference for either butter, margarine or nut spreads, but which one is best for our household or health?

We asked the experts what their advice is and how to determine what might be right for our diet.

Emma Beckett likes to keep all three options in her fridge at home.

ABC/Supplied

?

Dr Emma Beckett likes to keep all three options in her fridge at home.

“I use them for different things, like baking, cooking and eating,” says the food and nutrition scientist based in Newcastle/Awabakal.

“So, you might have a preference for the taste of butter, or you might have a preference for the health benefits of margarine, or you might be looking for a nuttier flavour, the choice is ultimately yours.”

She says butter is made from milk, margarine is made from vegetable or seed oils, and nut spreads typically contain, as their name suggests, ground nuts such as peanuts, almonds, and cashews.

While margarine and nut spreads have mostly unsaturated fats, butter contains saturated fats.

Rebecca McPhee, an accredited dietitian at Diabetes Australia, says a “high intake of saturated fat has been shown to increase cholesterol which has been linked to increased risk of heart disease”.

But, she adds, butter, margarine and plant-based spreads when used sparingly all have a place as part of a balanced diet based on nutrient-dense whole foods.

Why do some spreads have a ‘bad rap’?

Beckett says margarine has not always had the best reputation when it comes to health considerations.

“It’s processed, and it’s created from seed oils, which typically get a bad name these days that is completely unfounded,” she says.

“Margarines used to have trans fats in them, and we now know that trans fats are not very good for us, but they’ve been removed in that process, now.”

McPhee agrees and says “early versions of margarine contained higher levels of trans fats that elevate low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels,” which are often known as “bad” cholesterol.

Dr Norman Swan.

Janie Barrett

“[They also had] a high omega 6 to 3 ratio that has been shown to increase inflammation,” she says.

Author and medically qualified journalist Dr Norman Swan says butter, margarine and nut spreads are all “calorie dense”.

“So, if you’re going to be [eating] a mountain of margarine, a mountain of butter, you’re likely to put on weight,” he says.

“There’s a route between a high-fat diet and type 2 diabetes, and it’s largely through the fat around your waist.

“And that also translates to an increased risk of cancer and poorer outcomes if you’ve got cancer.”

Are there health benefits to certain spreads?

Beckett says she prefers to use margarine predominantly because of her risk of developing high cholesterol.

“So, genetically everyone in my family is predisposed to having high cholesterol,” she says.

“We have lots of margarines that have plant sterols added to them and those are where the real health benefits come.”

Plant sterols (also known as phytosterols) are natural compounds found in all plant foods.

While margarine and nut spreads have mostly unsaturated fats, butter contains saturated fats.

Unsplash

They inhibit cholesterol absorption in the gut, leading to an overall reduction in blood cholesterol levels.

Beckett says it’s worth checking the product packaging as “not all margarines will be high in plant sterols”.

McPhee says nut spreads, such as 100 per cent peanut or almond butter, which are also rich in unsaturated fats, are another nutritious option, particularly those with no added salt or sugar.

“Spreads which are rich in beneficial mono and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil, nut butters, avocado or canola oil are typically considered by most health professionals and governing bodies as the preferred choice for heart health,” she says.

“Including in the management of metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

She recommends speaking to a health professional, such as an accredited dietitian, to develop a personalised eating plan that incorporates the spread of your choice.

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

Breakers embarrassed on home court

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Sydney Kings centre Tim Soares and Breakers centre Rob Loe jostle for a rebound, 2026. www.photosport.nz

The Breakers have been destroyed by the Sydney Kings in their latest NBL game.

The Auckland side went down by 41 points, their fifth loss in their last six games.

The Kings were without two of their key players but it didn’t matter as the Breakers were embarrassed on their home court in a 103-62 loss.

The Breakers are eighth on the table with an eight win and 15 loss record and while mathematically they could still make the play-offs this result suggests otherwise.

The Breakers were behind by just six points after the first quarter, but in the second they managed to score just four points while giving up seven turnovers.

Coach Petteri Koponen was blunt with his reaction afterwards.

“First of all we have to say sorry and apologise to the fans how we looked.

“I think the first time this season we were not competitive and we could not find the solutions.

“We couldn’t make shots and we let it also affect us on the defensive end and it got ugly.”

The fourth placed Kings played the game without Xavier Cooks and Bul Kuol.

Karim Lopez top scored for the Breakers with 11 points.

The Breakers have a quick turnaround with a game against the Hawks in Illawarra on Sunday.

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

Auckland FC go clear at the top after an impressive win

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Sam Cosgrove of Auckland reacts after scoring against Brisbane, 2026. AAP / Photosport

Auckland FC have gone clear at the top of the A-League after an impressive win across the Tasman.

Auckland overpowered Brisbane Roar in a 2-0 win at Suncorp Stadium, extending their lead to five points.

It was an impressive result for Auckland who had picked up just one point in their last two games.

The visitors had numerous goal scoring opportunities during the game.

Sam Cosgrove and Lachlan Brook both brought their personal goal tallies for the season to five, sharing the lead at the top of the golden boot standings with five other players.

English striker Cosgrove scrambled home the ball from a corner after just six minutes, while Australian winger Brook curled in a superb strike from the edge of the box after 72 minutes.

The loss was Brisbane’s third in a row, a run in which they have not scored a goal.

Auckland FC coach Steve Corica felt they could have done better in the first half, but overall was happy with his side’s performance.

“The good thing tonight is that we got the second goal which put the nail in the coffin.

“I think we could have won that by even three or four as we had a couple of other chances that we probably could have done better with.”

Corica was also pleased that they kept a clean sheet and are still unbeaten at home.

Auckland’s next game is next Friday night away to Melbourne City.

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

Search on for inaugural women’s national Scrabble champion

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

The second day of the tournament in Mt Albert will be livestreamed. Surendran MP

Scrabble players have flocked to Auckland for the inaugural women’s Scrabble championship, starting Saturday.

Twenty avid Scrabble players will compete for the chance to be crowned as the country’s first ever women’s champ.

Tournament director Jenny Litchfield said the competition was a chance for female players to be recognised.

“We have some very good players – strong women players, who represent New Zealand at an international level,” she said. “They’re not actually being visible in the ranks, the top 10, top 20 ranks in the same way that men are, and yet these women are quite capable of actually playing at a high level.”

The tournament aimed to celebrate the women in the country who play competitive Scrabble, said Litchfield, who invites people to come and watch the tournament.

“So often, it’s the game we’ve played over the kitchen table or you’ve played with your grandma,” she said. “Well, those days still exist, but also too, the digital platforms and media are changing the ways in which younger people would actually view Scrabble.”

The second day of the tournament would be livestreamed, which was something new, with expert commentry also provided.

Litchfield said the tournament would be the first of many.

“We’re starting small, but dreaming big.”

She said there was a strong community of competitive Scrabble players.

The tournament will be held at the Mt Albert Bridge Club in Councillors Drive over Saturday and Sunday.

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

Sir Tim Shadbolt’s Invercargill funeral service details revealed

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Shadbolt was made a Knight Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List. Stephen Jaquiery/ODT

A public funeral service to celebrate the life of Sir Tim Shadbolt will be held in Invercargill next Friday.

The former Waitematā and Invercargill mayor died on Thursday, aged 78.

He was made a Knight Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List.

A torrent of tributes have been paid since his death, with former Prime Minister Helen Clark describing Shadbolt as one of the characters of their generation.

Lifelong friend Gary McCormick said Sir Tim had a landmark smile and a personality to match it.

The funeral service would be held at Invercargill’s Civic Theatre from 2pm Friday, 16 January. It would be livestreamed on the Invercargill City Council YouTube account and his tribute page at frasersfunerals.co.nz/tributes.

Partner Asha Dutt said he was the cornerstone of their family, who promoted Invercargill for decades and was a champion for the underdog.

“Tim was a kind-hearted man, who cared deeply about the people around him,” she said.

A private celebration of Sir Tim and interment at Invercargill’s Eastern Cemetery would be held after the service.

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Kiwi running prodigy Boh Ritchie eyes next challenge after erasing legend from record books

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Boh Ritchie (right) wins the NZ 800 metres title at Dunedin. Michael Dawson/Athletics NZ 2025

Even in her finest hour, Boh Ritchie found her long-awaited breakthrough lost amid the clamour over another distance-running prodigy on this side of the Tasman.

In December, the Cambridge teen erased a Kiwi athletics legend from the record books, eclipsing Lorraine Moller’s junior 800 metres mark with 2m 03.14s in Sydney.

Unfortunately, that same night, Sam Ruthe, 16, grabbed all the headlines with another in a string of extraordinary performances in his 5000 metres debut in Auckland.

In the space of a month, the kid from Tauranga has captured national U20 records over 800m, 1000m, 1500m and 5000m. This is his time, it seems, and Ritchie and the rest of us are just living in it.

“I don’t mind it like that, to be fair,” she admitted. “He’s done some incredible things.

“He’s such a lovely boy, so sweet and so humble – he definitely deserves it.”

While Ruthe has burst onto the stage only over the past 12 months, becoming the youngest ‘man’ to break four minutes for a mile while still 15, Ritchie’s emergence has been more of a slow burn over several years.

She has already won 11 national titles at 800m, mile, 1500m, cross-country, 3000m, 5000m and 4x400m relays, including her first senior crown over the two laps last summer.

That’s a CV eerily reminiscent of the woman she has usurped from the records.

Moller, who was made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit in the 2026 New Year Honours, was also 18, when she clocked 2m 03.63s for fifth at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games, springboarding a career that would blaze a trail for women into professional running.

Over the next 20 years, she would compete at four Olympics, taking marathon bronze at 1992 Barcelona, and taking bronze over 1500 metres and 3000 metres at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games.

Moller also finished fifth at the 1975 world cross-country championships in Morocco, spearheading New Zealand’s runner-up finish in the women’s teams standings.

Ritchie had been gunning for her 800 metres standard since closing within a few hundredths of a second at the Potts Classic in Hastings last February.

“When I ran 2.03 high, I knew I had a shot,” she reflected. “It was just a matter of finding the right race.

“To be fair, I’ve been enjoying the process more, without putting pressure on myself to get the time.

“I feel quite privileged to get it just before I turn 19.”

Moller was among the first to congratulate Ritchie on social media afterwards, but the youngster has been unable to reciprocate.

“That was pretty special and I really wanted to reach out to her, but I don’t know how to work Facebook,” Ritchie confessed.

“She’s definitely an inspiration to me, the fact she ran such a range of disciplines, from 800 to marathon, with so much success. The versatility she had is something I very much admire, as I try to keep that range as much as I can and explore different events.

“I think it makes the sport fun by changing it up a little bit, which is very important. You see a lot of pro athletes switching events to keep longevity in their careers.”

Ritchie can now set her sights on the world junior championships at Eugene, Oregon, in August, but has plenty of challenges ahead of her in the meantime.

This week, she joins the NZ contingent at the world cross country championships at Tallahassee, Florida, where she will contest the mixed relay event.

Beyond, Ritchie will settle into a scholarship at Penn State University, the latest Kiwi woman to seek career advancement within the US college system.

Paris Olympian Maia Ramsden won an NCAA indoor mile title and back-to-back 1500m outdoor titles for Harvard University, retaining her crown ahead of compatriot Kimberley May of Providence in 2024.

Last year, May took bronze over 1500m at the World University Games, while Hannah Gapes placed fifth at the 2025 national cross-country championships, leading North Carolina State to team honours.

Ritchie will join a Nittany Lions programme that finished 10th at the cross-country nationals, with the indoor season already underway.

“I feel like it’s got a great culture and it feels like home,” she said of her chosen school. “I visited last April and, as I drove from the airport, the scenery was just like New Zealand, with green grass and cows and sheep.

“I met the team and they were so welcoming. A few Aussies – it’s always good to have an Aussie or two – but no New Zealanders.”

Ritchie needs only to look back through Penn State’s history to find that Kiwi connection. Aucklander Heather Carmichael – a Lydiard disciple – was part of the women’s running squad during the 1980s, achieving All-American status over 3000 metres and 5000 metres.

Defending her NZ 800m title in March may have to take a backseat to Ritchie’s new American commitments.

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

Manage My Health breach victims warned to beware bank account theft

By Evening Report -

January 10, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Manage My Health insists it encrypted health data in its database and user passwords. RNZ / Finn Blackwell

An information technology expert warns the Manage My Health data breach may make victims vulnerable to bank account theft.

About 125,000 Manage My Health users have been affected by a massive data breach, with hackers stealing hundreds of thousands of medical files.

Those whose health records have been stolen in the ransomware attack are struggling to get any information, with the website repeatedly crashing and the 0800 number overloaded.

Cybersecurity and operational technology expert Dr Abhinav Chopra told RNZ the information contained in the breach, like health and personally identifiable data, could be used to access bank accounts.

“Using this information, with phone banking and others, you can easily get access to a number of bank accounts and transfer money, even in this period,” he said.

“Many banks and other institutions will just ask you, ‘Hey, what’s your name, what’s your date of birth, what’s your email address, what’s your phone number’, and some of that information or all of that information is basically in that app, Manage My Health.”

Chopra said the company’s layers of security, like password protection and encryption, weren’t appropriate for the level of sensitive data the company held.

He said the company did not apply about 17 different controls, culminating in a security breach.

“These kind of 101 basics and this stuff, it does need some investment, but when you’re holding critical information like health information and personally identifiable information, these should be your basics,” Chopra said.

On Friday, Manage My Health said it encrypted health data in its database and user passwords.

“[Manage My Health] is an ISO 9001 and ISO 27001-certified organisation,” it said. “We have quality assurance processes with regular testing of our systems.”

Chopra said hackers often targeted people on holiday or out of business hours, so victims couldn’t verify the information given with an official channel.

“Either you are busy doing something and you will just fall for that thing that they have said, or if they have created kind of an emergency kind of situation, then you fall for it,” he said.

“If you even call your own bank or your agency, or someone else, you will be outside of office hours and you will not be able to get that answer back.”

Chopra urged people not to rush into answering what could be a scam email or message.

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

Albanese bows to relentless pressure for Bondi royal commission but scepticism remains

By Asia Pacific Report -

January 10, 2026

SPECIAL REPORT: By David Robie

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has finally bowed to pressure from the Murdoch News Corp’s relentless media campaign and advocacy by political critics and victim’s families to announce a royal commission of inquiry into “antisemitism and social cohesion”.

The commission advocates were seeking his political downfall over last month’s Bondi Beach massacre that killed 15 people at a Jewish religious holiday of Hanukkah with complaints that he had “not done enough” against antisemitism.

One of the two allegedly ISIS-aligned terrorist gunmen was also killed at the scene of the tragedy and the other was wounded and arrested. He has been charged with 59 counts, including 15 charges of murder and committing a terrorist act.

Albanese held a press conference in Canberra yesterday and confirmed that former High Court justice Virginia Bell would lead the national inquiry.

While the royal commission has been mostly welcomed by survivors, victims’ families and Jewish community groups that have been lobbying for a national inquiry, some advocacy organisations have criticised the time it has taken before being called.

However, even more serious criticisms have emerged over the terms of reference and a widespread belief that the real objective is to mute criticism of Israel and its brutal policies of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Award-winning journalist and Lamestream co-host Osman Faruqi, for example, argues “this royal commission won’t give us answers to Bondi — it’s set up to protect Israel.”

“The terms of reference for the Royal Commission should put aside any doubt: this is an inquiry designed to castigate critics of Israel.”

In the media release yesterday that Albanese, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Attorney-General Michelle Rowland confirmed the four main areas to be covered, they stated:

Tackling antisemitism by investigating the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in institutions and society, and its key drivers in Australia, including ideologically and religiously motivated extremism and radicalisation.
Making recommendations that will assist law enforcement, border control, immigration and security agencies to tackle antisemitism, including through improvements to guidance and training within law enforcement, border control, immigration, and security agencies to respond to antisemitic conduct.
Examining the circumstances surrounding the antisemitic Bondi terrorist attack on December 14, 2025.
Making any other recommendations arising out of the inquiry for strengthening social cohesion in Australia and countering the spread of ideologically and religiously motivated extremism in Australia.

Missing from the terms of reference is anything related to the rise of Islamophobia in Australia. The brief is far too narrowly framed compared with what many had hoped for.

The Australian Government has announced the establishment of a Royal Commission following the antisemitic Bondi terror attack. This devastating event deeply affected the victims, their families, the Jewish community, first responders and the broader Australian public.

The Royal… pic.twitter.com/kFQbrJh5IZ

— Australian Human Rights Commission (@AusHumanRights) January 9, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had cynically jumped in within hours of the Bondi shootings to lambast Albanese and connect the massacre to the massive protests against the Gaza genocide — including 300,000 on the Sydney Harbour Bridge — even though there was no evidence of this.

He blamed the deadly Bondi attack on Albanese, accusing the Australian prime minister of pouring “fuel on the antisemitism fire” by recognising a Palestinian state. (The State of Palestine is recognised as a sovereign nation by 157 UN member states, representing 81 percent of membership).

“You took no action. You let the disease spread and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today,” said Netanyahu, who is wanted on an International Criminal Court (ICJ) warrant to answer charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Israeli authorities have a pattern of blaming criticism of the Israeli government and military’s over its genocidal actions in Gaza for fuelling antisemitism.

Globally popular phrases such as ‘Globalise the intifada’, ‘From the river to the sea Palestine will be free’, and ‘Death to the IDF’ have frequently been targeted by Israeli officials and lobbyists seeking to shield their government’s atrocities.

Jewish-Australian author and journalist Antony Loewenstein, who wrote the 2023 bestselling book The Palestine Laboratory with powerful insights into Israel’s cruel military machine of repression against Palestinians, has been scathing in his television and newspaper commentaries, accusing Tel Aviv of “outrageous lies” that endangered Jews worldwide.

“Within hours of the horrific, antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney [last] month, the Israeli government and its proxies started pushing false narratives, outright lies and racism to a grieving nation,” he wrote in Middle East Eye.

“Netanyahu and senior Israeli ministers blamed an Australian government that ‘normalised boycotts against Jews’, recognised the state of Palestine this year, and refused to shut down pro-Palestine marches.

“Former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy posted on X (formerly Twitter): ‘Jews around the world live in fear because we are being hunted. October 7 inspired millions around the world and launched a global war against Jews.’

“There was no logic or sense to this verbal onslaught at a time when the dead bodies were still warm on Bondi Beach. At that point, and still now, there’s no clear picture of the motives of the father and son accused in the slaughter of mostly Jews who had gathered to mark the first night of Hanukkah, although a link to Islamic State has been explored.

“It was an outrageous intervention from a disgraced Israeli government accused of committing genocide in Gaza — and yet too many in the Australian and global media treated Netanyahu and his cronies as credible commentators, deferring to their supposed wisdom.”

“Israel’s propaganda machine endangers every Jew on the planet – including me”

✍️ Opinion by Anthony Loewenstein https://t.co/eQP0rdHB5I

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) December 23, 2025

Indeed, what has been shocking for this New Zealand journalist holidaying in Australia for the past month — in Adelaide, South Australia — is the blatant way Israel has been allowed to “shape” the public discourse and in the media. Remember, Netanyahu himself, has resisted a full Israeli inquiry into the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, including his own alleged security failings, for more than two years.

One of the most recent cudgels being used to beat the Albanese Labor government was an open letter signed by 100+ “business leaders” supporting the royal commission call.

Part of one of the series of full page business open letter advertisements calling for a royal commission carried across the nation in the Murdoch News Corp titles such as The Australian and The Adelaide Advertiser and other newspapers. Image: Asia Pacific Report

But what they wanted was a probe into the alleged “antisemitism” in Australia. What about the other forms of racism and harassment such an Islamophobia?

Signatories included billionaire businessman James Packer, News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller, and a whole bunch of banking and industry executives.

Mainstream media selective outrage.@Mondoweiss pic.twitter.com/9lgpNcpE1y

— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) December 24, 2025

Editorials and cartoons in The Australian and other Murdoch media, such as The Advertiser in Adelaide, parroted each other in calling on Albanese to “serve the nation, not yourself.”

For almost four weeks none of the countless pages of articles canvassed other perspectives; to gain some balance it was necessary to turn to credible independent sources on social media. The job of the media is to serve the public interest, not themselves.

Take “serial inventor and entrepreneur” Jaqueline Outram posting on X for a counter view.

“More than 100 ‘business leaders’ signed a letter?

“Whoop-de-frickin-doo.

“Hundreds of thousands of Australians marched and will continue to march against genocide.

“Some capitalist opportunists signed a letter.

“Pfft …”

She added in a separate post, “Stop treating business leaders like they’re some kind of moral authority . . . Nobody cares what they think.”

More than 100 “business leaders” signed a letter?

Really? More than 100? Signed a letter?

Whoop-de-frickin-doo.

Hundreds of thousands of Australians marched, and will continue to march, against genocide.

Some capitalist opportunists signed a letter.

Pfft…#FreePalestine

— Jaqueline Outram 🇵🇸 (@JaquelineOutram) January 2, 2026

Commenting on the royal commission decision, prominent Brisbane journalist and media educator Kasun Ubayasiri questioned the “privileged” status of one section of the multicultural Australian society.

“So the government announces a royal commission on antisemitism when we have never had a Racism Royal Commission. Why the privileged status for one type of racism over others?”

The Jewish community in Australia numbers about 117,000 in a total population of 28 million – the ninth largest globally, and the biggest in the Indo-Pacific region. The Muslim community is about 815,000.

“More worryingly, the royal commission terms of reference seem problematic,” added Ubayasiri. “It makes no real attempt to untangle the morally repugnant antisemitism from anti-Zionism.

“The latter is easily defendable especially in its current format. The terms of reference particularly note the acceptance of the IHRA [International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance] definition of antisemitism as a working definition, suggesting this distinction between antisemitism and anti-Zionism is unlikely to be made by the royal commission.

“IHRA is already widely seen as chilling legitimate criticism of Israel. Arguably allowing the royal commission to draft its own definitional framing would have made more sense.”

Associate Professor Joseph Fernandez, a media law scholar and journalist, added: “Be very afraid of this exercise being hijacked to produce outcomes that will serve narrow and dubious interests — at the expense of the public interest generally, in a sound democracy.”

Apart from the royal commission issue, controversy has also blown up over an invitation by Albanese to the Israeli President, Isaac “Bougie” Herzog, the first head of state born in Israel since its founding in 1948, to make an official visit. Mounting calls are being made to drop the invite over Herzog’s implication in incitement to genocide.

A poster condemning Australia’s invitation to Israeli President Isaac Herzog next month. Image: Asia Pacific Report

The move was welcomed by Jewish community groups and February was touted for a likely date. However, his visit would be certain to attract protests from pro-Palestinian groups condemning Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed at least 71,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Such a trip would require a heavy security commitment and the Labor Friends of Palestine, a party group supporting the creation of a Palestinian state, has appealed to Albanese to call off the invitation.

Other pro-Palestinian groups have called for an investigation into allegations of incitement to genocide.

Also, at least 50 writers and poets are reported to be withdrawing from the Adelaide Writers Festival — Australia’s largest free literary festival — on February 28-March 5 in protest over a cancellation of an invitation to a Palestinian author, lawyer and advocate because she has been critical of Israel.

Miles Franklin winners Michelle de Kretser and Melissa Lucashenko declared they would boycott the event in protest over featured Randa Abdel-Fattah being cancelled.

Others, including journalism professor and former foreign correspondent Peter Greste who was jailed by the Egyptian government for the “crime of being a journalist”, have also pulled out.

“We do not help social cohesion by silencing voices,” Greste posted on X.

My statement in response to the racist decision to cancel me from Adelaide Writers’ Week. https://t.co/HktwrcWveT pic.twitter.com/EDqTOteA1S

— Randa Abdel-Fattah (@RandaAFattah) January 8, 2026

Dr Abdel-Fattah accused the Adelaide festival board of “blatant and shameless” anti-Palestinian racism and censorship, adding that the attempt to associate her with the Bondi massacre was “despicable”.

“The Adelaide Writers Festival Board has stripped me of my humanity and agency, reducing me to an object onto which others can project their racist fears and smears.”

She had been expected to discuss her novel Discipline, which raises ethical issues about whose voices are allowed to be heard.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Top seed Elina Svitolina survives major scare, advances to ASB Classic semi

By Evening Report -

January 9, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Elina Svitolina celebrates victory at the 2026 ASB Classic. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

Tournament top seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine has survived a major scare to beat British qualifier Sonay Kartal 6-4 6-7 7-6 and advance to the semi-finals of the ASB Classic in Auckland.

Svitolina told Sky Sport the final set was stressful.

“A tiebreaker, of course, it’s always very very difficult and challenging,” she said. “All the credit to Sonay, she played unbelievable today.

“I think she even deserved more than me to win today, to be fair.”

Svitolina will meet American third seed Iva Jovic, who beat Sofia Costoulas of Belgium 6-2 7-6.

Qualifier Costoulas seemed about to force a third set, but Jovic fought back in the second-set tiebreaker and said she had to be aggressive.

“She wasn’t missing a lot,” Jovic said. “She was playing with a lot of spin, a lot of shape, so I really had to win every point out there, and just moving my feet in the wind.

“It’s tricky, it’s swirling in all different directions, so it was hard for me to find my footing at times.”

Filipino trailblazer through to final four

Earlier, fourth seed Alexandra Eala of the Philippines continued her run at the tournament, after beating Polish fifth seed Magda Linette 6-3 6-2.

Eala will meet seventh seed Wang Xinyu of China, who advanced after leading 6-4 4-3, when her British opponent Francesca Jones retired injured.

The unseeded Jones had impressed during the tournament, but called a physio at the end of her first set and eventually succumbed to a leg injury.

Alexandra Eala is a fan favourite at the Women’s ASB Classic Tennis Tournament in Auckland. www.photosport.nz

Just 20, Eala has attracted plenty of attention, already becoming the highest-ranked player in her country’s history.

“I’m happy with how I handled the external factors, the wind and playing Magda has always been difficult for me,” she said. “She’s a very solid player.”

Eala has displayed a calmness on court that defies her age and said it was something she had worked on.

“I think that just goes back to the standard that my team and my family, especially, have kind of like built around me growing up.”

She said she wouldn’t dare smash a racket in anger.

“No, smashing a racket is a big no-no in my family and, if that happened, you would probably never see me on court again,” Eala laughed.

Her parents often travel with her to tournaments and this one is no exception.

“They’ve been taking walks, watching me play,” she said. “This is the first time I think all of us have been in New Zealand, so it’s nice, the atmosphere is great, obviously a big Philippine community, and I like the place, very calm, it’s very clean, so new experiences.”

She predicted Saturday’s semi-final would be a “very difficult” match-up.

“Semi-finals are never easy and she’s [Wang] been playing really well this week, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Wang, who had a tough end to last year, said she felt fresh, after having a decent pre-season.

“I’ve been a bit injured over the past two years and this pre-season, I was finally able to work more than before,” she said. “It was just working hard and putting the pieces into the puzzle, focussing on where I can improve.

“I was very happy and confident coming into this season because of that.”

Wang, 24, goes into the semi with three tough matches under her belt and would make her first WTA final, if she can get past Eala.

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

Former French Foreign Legion soldier key suspect in Vanuatu VT49m heist

By Asia Pacific Report -

January 9, 2026

By Doddy Morris in Port Vila

The Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) has confirmed that the prime suspect in a Port Vila armed robbery is a former member of the French Foreign Legion, who served around 2019.

Allegations had circulated on social media for the past four days, but yesterday it was officially confirmed that the mastermind of the robbery on December 29 is an ex-Legionnaire with operational experience.

The French Foreign Legion (Légion étrangère) is an elite, volunteer military corps within the French Army, known for accepting foreign nationals from around the world to serve in challenging overseas missions.

The Legion, established in 1831, is famous for its rigorous selection, demanding training, and unique traditions, including name changes and an emphasis on “honour and fidelity.”

Legionnaires serve in roles such as infantry, engineers, and airborne troops, undergoing intense physical and mental tests to build cohesion and serve France’s global interests.

Social media posts suggest the suspect was deployed in conflict zones, highlighting the level of military training and experience he may have gained.

The robbery, described as a “well-coordinated and professionally executed armed robbery,” took place at Bauerfield International Airport, a critical infrastructure site.

Western Union vehicle
Three suspects in a minivan with an unauthorised number plate closely followed a Western Union vehicle carrying cash to the airport.

The suspects blocked the vehicle at the Vanuatu Terminal Services Limited (VTSL) building, assaulted the driver, and stole NZ$700,000 (about VT49 million). They then escaped swiftly in the minivan.

The police launched an official investigation on December 30 at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Within three days, they started arresting suspects, thanks to strong collaboration with the community of Port Vila and support from the Government of Vanuatu through the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

A total of eight suspects have been arrested so far. Seven have been remanded at the Correctional Centre, including a female suspect, while the prime suspect remains in police custody.

Police Commissioner Kalshem Bongran confirmed that the .22-calibre firearm used in the robbery, the getaway vehicle, and 99 percent of the stolen cash had been recovered.

He also expressed gratitude to the public, the Vanuatu government and other stakeholders for their support in the investigation.

While the investigation continues, Commissioner Bongran urged the public not to take the law into their own hands and assured citizens, residents, and visitors that Vanuatu remained safe.

Republished from the Vanuatu Daily Post.

Vanuatu Police Commissioner Kalshem Bongran . . . eight suspects have been arrested so far, seven – including a woman – have been remanded at the Correctional Centre. Image: Vanuatu Daily Post

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

What you need to know about washing cars (and more) at home

By Evening Report -

January 9, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Numerous questions have been raised on social media following the publication of an RNZ article on Wednesday that warned car owners of a hefty fine they might receive if they washed their vehicles at home.

Individuals discharging contaminants such as cleaning products into stormwater systems face fines of $1500, while companies can be fined $3000, according to infringement provisions set out in the 1991 Resource Management Act.

Local governments nationwide have been asking car owners to wash their vehicles on unsealed ground, such as grass or gravel, or divert the run-off to unsealed ground using sandbags to avoid pollutants entering natural waterways.

While some social media users questioned the fines, others called for more education and awareness, as well as improved designs for new townhouse developments where lawns were sparse.

What follows are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

Do the regulations apply in my neighbourhood?

The Ministry for the Environment said 1991 Resource Management Act regulations applied across the whole country, although different councils will have different rules and bylaws.

Councils nationwide cautioned residents to be mindful of what they’re putting down the stormwater drain to protect natural waterways.

Officials often took an “education first” approach and would only use fines or prosecutions as the last resort, multiple councils told RNZ.

“[Auckland] Council takes a pragmatic approach towards households, and we do not go out seeking to fine people who may be out washing their cars on a Saturday morning,” said Robert Irvine, general manager of licensing and compliance at the council.

“If we were to issue an infringement for such an activity, it would be in response to a complaint and where we believe the activity poses a significant environmental risk.”

Local governments have also been engaging with the community to raise awareness.

For example, Tauranga City Council has introduced a water education programme for schools, while Otago Regional Council has launched two programmes titled Only Drain Rain and Adopt a Drain.

James Feary, Three Waters acting unit director at Hamilton City Council, said washing cars on unsealed ground or grassed areas provided a filtration and detention process that allowed soil microbes to break down contaminants.

“It also means the same water is being used to water your lawn, helping water conservation,” Feary said.

A spokesperson from the Ministry for the Environment said households should check local government regulations if they were unsure about potentially committing an offence by discharging water or potential contaminants from their property into stormwater systems.

Tauranga City Council uses billboards to raise awareness on ways to reduce pollution in waterways. Supplied

Are biodegradable cleaning products OK? What if I just use water?

Biodegradable detergents can also pollute waterways, said Jesse Hindt, acting compliance manager at Auckland Council.

A spokesperson from the Ministry for the Environment said using only water or biodegradable products to clean vehicles could still mean contaminants were discharged into stormwater drains.

Radleigh Cairns, drainage services manager at Tauranga City Council, said water used to clean cars often contained sediment, hydrocarbons and heavy metals such as zinc and copper that could be harmful to flora and fauna.

“One car wash might seem harmless, but when tens of thousands of cars are cleaned each week, the cumulative impact is significant,” Cairns said.

Can car owners wash their vehicles on grass berms?

If local governments enforced current regulations, car owners might attract a fine for washing vehicles on grass berms if run-off containing contaminants was discharged into drains or street gutters that would eventually make its way into stormwater systems.

Can homeowners clean roofs or the exterior walls of houses with chemical products that might also enter the stormwater drainage system?

The same rules applied when people washed the exterior of their houses or used a water blaster on their property, Feary said.

“People must prevent contaminants from entering the stormwater system,” he said.

When washing roofs or houses, even with biodegradable cleaners, either temporarily disconnect downpipes and divert water to unsealed ground, or block drains by using rubber bungs or other devices and remove the wash-water upon completion of works, he said.

“Landowners are responsible for work done on their property,” Feary said.

Can homeowners clean their driveway with widely advertised products such as Spray & Walk Away, Wet & Forget and 30 Seconds?

The Resource Management Act stated that people could not discharge any contaminants into water without obtaining consent, Auckland Council’s Irvine said.

“In theory, this means that no soaps or chemicals that may cause harm to the environment should be used to wash cars, houses, driveways or any item where run-off can enter our stormwater system.”

123RF

Can boat owners use cleaning products to wash vessels docked at port?

A clean hull is important to keep a vessel in good shape and having a hull free from hitchhiking pests also helps protect the marine environment, according to Northland Regional Council.

However, the council urged people to use dedicated boat maintenance facilities for routine maintenance, including hull cleaning.

“No hull maintenance can be undertaken on the foreshore,” the council said.

“This includes the cleaning, scraping, sanding, blasting, painting or anti-fouling of a vessel hull on the foreshore.”

What about homeowners that use a septic tank?

The Ministry for the Environment said septic tanks must meet local discharge requirements, and people should refer to local councils’ guidance, rules and bylaws.

Why are the fines for individuals and companies disproportionate?

The ministry said fines for both individuals and companies used to be $750 before amendments to the Resource Management Act were made last year.

“The amendments were made to ensure the regulations continued to be an effective deterrent,” the ministry said.

“Increases to a range of infringement fees were based on the ministry’s research and feedback from councils and stakeholders gained during public consultation in 2023, and reports from other agencies and councils.”

‘Only drain rain’

Carla Gee, chief executive at EcoMatters Environment Trust, said it was disheartening for volunteers to see the effects of run-off on water quality when helping to clean up a community stream.

“We understand this is just one part of the wider issues affecting water quality at our beaches, rivers and lakes,” she said.

“But the cumulative effect of all residents doing the right thing when washing their cars does make a difference. Remember: stormwater drains only drain rain.”

“If people want to understand more about water quality, we, and many other local and regional environmental organisations, always welcome volunteers to join us at local stream clean-up and restoration events.

“This is a great way to contribute to the health of your local awa (river).”

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

Kmart recalls gel packs due to risk they contain toxic substance

By Evening Report -

January 9, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Kmart signage at the Westfield St Lukes mall. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Gel packs sold at Kmart for seven years have been recalled due to the risk that they may include a toxic substance.

Anko Small Gel Pak and Anko Large Gel Pak have been sold at Kmart in New Zealand from June 2018 until December 2025.

The product is being recalled because the gel pack may include ethylene glycol, a toxic substance, rather than the non-toxic ingredient glycerol.

Product Safety New Zealand said if the packaging becomes damaged, ethylene glycol can leak out. It said if swallowed, the substance can cause irreversible injuries or death.

Anko Small Gel Pak and Anko Large Gel Pak have been sold at Kmart in New Zealand since June 2018. Product Safety

Consumers who have purchased the Gel Paks are urged to stop using them immediately and keep out of reach of children.

Kmart said customers should contact them to arrange a full refund.

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

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

How poo detecting dogs are helping native birds return to Waiheke Island

By Evening Report -

January 9, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tilde Sorensen and her dog Parker RNZ

Sniffing out the last stoats on Waiheke Island is all in a day’s work for springer spaniel Parker and dog handler Tilde Sorensen.

Five boxes lay on the ground in front of Parker. Four were decoys and one held what he was supposed to find. All he had to do was sniff out the correct box and lie down with his nose pointing at it.

The springer spaniel’s handler, Tilde Sorensen, was nervous. This test was part of a gruelling six-hour long exam she and Parker needed to pass in order to become certified by the Department of Conservation as a detection dog.

Parker’s detection speciality was stoat poo, but each box held a different type of animal dropping that Parker might come across while on the job. “I had rabbit scat, cat, duck, chicken, I had some rat as well,” says Sorenesen.

Sorensen had never owned a dog before. She works for Te Korowai o Waiheke / Predator Free Waiheke, a project aiming to eradicate rats and stoats from the already possum-free island.

Parker belongs to Auckland Council, but now lives fulltime on Waiheke Island with Sorensen. When the call was put out asking for someone to volunteer to be a dog handler, Sorensen put her hand up, despite her inexperience. Now Parker’s part of her family.

The first certification test six months earlier was simpler. They just needed to prove that Parker listened to Sorensen’s commands and that he wasn’t aggressive.

The six-hour-long test in July, which they needed to pass to start working in the field, was a different kettle of fish. With the two of them under such close scrutiny, Sorensen’s nerves rubbed off on the young dog.

Parker carefully sniffed around each box, but when he smelled what he thought was stoat poo, his training flew out the window. Instead of lying down at the right box, “he sort of paused by that box and looked at me,” says Sorensen.

It wasn’t ideal, but it was enough for them to squeak through. After proving he could work safely around livestock like sheep and chickens, and another test where he needed to find several different stoat scats in a paddock, they were given the news they had passed.

“It was such a relief,” says Sorensen. “Parker and I went home and we both lay on the lawn for half an hour and had a bit of a relax and snuggle.”

The testing agent gave Sorensen a long list of notes and ideas of things to work on. Her advice to Sorensen was that working in the field with Parker was really just the start of the training journey not the culmination, but for a few days after their success, Sorensen says she felt like she was floating.

When Parker is working he wears a vest and muzzle. RNZ

Waiheke’s dwindling predators

Waiheke is a 35 minute ferry trip from downtown Auckland, but it feels like a world away. There are no traffic lights, multi-level carpark buildings, or shopping malls.

The rumble of motorway traffic is absent, replaced by the distinctive gear-box grinding screech of kākā.

In the five years since the Predator Free Waiheke project started, the kākā population on the island has quadrupled and the number of native birds has increased by 76 percent.

In October 2025, the island celebrated the birth of a kiwi chick in the wild, the first chick after 10 adult kiwi were translocated there.

Project director Jenny Holmes says the increase in native bird life on the island was fantastic.

“In a few years time, if we have kiwi out in the wild, there’ll be huge ecotourism opportunities.”

Bright red and green kākāriki parakeets have also been photographed on the island, as have bellbird / korimako. Holmes believes the positive signs happening now are just the beginning as long as the predator control work continues.

Achieving predator free status on an inhabited island so close to Auckland would be a massive achievement, but the team feel it’s an achievable goal.

A large map covered in dots adorns Predator Free Waiheke’s office wall. Each dot represents one of the 1700 traps set around the island, one roughly every six hectares. Traps cover public and private land and are checked by staff, volunteers, and landowners. To date, trapping has removed 259 stoats and 15,816 rats from the island.

Stoats are an apex predator in New Zealand, first introduced to control rabbits. They’re capable climbers and swimmers and attack nests and birds. The Department of Conservation describes them as the number-one killer of many endangered species.

The genetics of each stoat caught are analysed by stoat DNA specialist, Dr Andrew Veale. Each year he provides a map for the team, showing how many breeding female stoats are on the island and how many offspring from each litter were caught.

In the most recent year of trapping, the genetic clues identified six to seven breeding female stoats. The genetic work done by Veale also shows new stoats aren’t swimming to the island from elsewhere. He estimates there’s been no new stoats for 15 years.

“Most of the stoats that we’re catching now, they’re all like first cousins,” says Holmes.

The hard work has meant Waiheke Island now has the lowest number of stoats of all predator projects.

Holmes says the fact the island is inhabited has helped, not hindered the work. She refers to it as having “9000 sets of eyes” on the job.

Locals are aware of the project through posters and educational work in schools. When they see a stoat, they phone in the sighting and location so the trapping team can swing into action.

“We send the dogs into those areas where the community has told us there’s a stoat, and the dogs can help track actual running lines. We’ve had a lot of success with then placing the trap in the running line of the stoat.”

The dogs Holmes is talking about are Wero, and handler Brad Windust, a contract dog handler and trapper, and Parker, the brand new addition to Predator Free Waiheke’s fulltime workforce.

With stoat numbers so low, the accuracy a dog can provide in indicating exactly where stoats travel is invaluable.

“It can be a matter of moving the trap just three metres and we catch a stoat, and the trap has been there months and not caught anything.”

The power of a happy dance

Being a dog handler has changed Sorensen. “You just have to let go of your ego a little bit,” she says.

Part of training Parker involved finding the perfect reward to treat him with when he successfully showed her where poo is.

For some dogs, it’s a toy they love playing with, for others it’s a tasty treat.

“Parker really likes food, but actually what I’m finding is what he values most is just me being really happy with him. So if I jump up and down and make a big song and dance and give him a big pat, that’s actually what he works for, which is ridiculously cute,” says Sorensen.

It doesn’t mean she can’t pat him at other times – it just comes down to intensity. For finding stoat poo there’s jumping up and down, a bit of a happy dance “and acting like an idiot”.

But there’s a problem. With stoat numbers so low, the opportunities for Parker to get his reward are diminishing.

“It’s never very fun if you’re doing a job and you never actually succeed,” she says. “Often I’ll just drop something as we walk along, and we’ll go back and find it.”

This means the contents of Sorensen’s freezer might raise eyebrows. She keeps little bottles of stoat poo on hand, all tightly sealed to maintain their odour. Every couple of detection sessions she surreptitiously drops one, so he can find it, and be rewarded with the happy dance and pats ritual.

The continued training in the field is important. Detection dog certification involves a third test, a year after the second. It’s a repeat of the gruelling six-hour test the pair completed in July. If they pass that then tests will be conducted every three years until Parker retires.

The future

There’s more work for Parker to do, and with stoat numbers dropping, it’s getting harder. Sorensen wonders whether the stoats left are wary of the traps which have been used for some time.

There’s been work to place them differently along run lines using “interceptor fences”.

“The idea is the stoat will be running along. It hits the fence, and then it either needs to move left or right from there, and there’ll be a trap waiting for it,” she says, calling them gamechangers.

An interceptor fence with stoat traps. RNZ

There’s also hope that technology can help – new AI traps are being tested. These use a camera to identify the animal, and only trigger if it’s a target species. They also automate the release of the killed predator so the trap can be used again. This is ideal for remote or rugged areas, where it’s hard to regularly clear and rebait traps.

While there’s enthusiasm about eradicating Waiheke’s last few stoats, there’s also concern. A significant portion of Predator Free Waiheke’s funding came from Predator Free 2050. The company set up to help deliver the vision has been dissolved by the National-led coalition government, with its functions moved to the Department of Conservation.

An updated strategy for Predator Free 2050 is set to be revealed in March, which should indicate if future funding is available.

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

Manage My Health patients draw blanks in quest for information on cybersecurity breach

By Evening Report -

January 9, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

The company has apologised for the breach and hopes to have contacted affected patients by early next week. RNZ / Finn Blackwell

Patients whose health records have been stolen in the Manage My Health ransomware attack are struggling to get any information, with the website repeatedly crashing and the 0800 number overloaded.

Andrea*, who lives in Wellington, said she received an email on Friday, telling her that she had been “impacted” and to log on to Manage My Health for more details.

“Except I can’t log in, as it’s ‘temporarily unavailable’,” she said. “I called the helpline included and was apparently No. 2 in the queue.

“I waited and waited, and had several more ‘Sorry to keep you waiting’ messages, but then at 11 minutes, the call was cut off.

“I called back and there was an automated message saying, ‘Due to the high volume of queries, we are unable to take your call’.”

Andrea tried a couple of times more over the morning, before giving up.

She said she had been prepared to give Manage My Health “the benefit of the doubt” until now.

“First of all, I thought, ‘Well, no news is good news’, but that was not the case, because it turns out I am impacted. Then I was, like, ‘OK, I’ll trust the process’, but I no longer trust the process.

“I naively gave them the benefit of the doubt, but now I’m just angry.”

She messaged the company and planned to lay a formal complaint with the Privacy Commissioner.

Mixed messages

Another patient, Nel*, said she received two emails from Manage My Health on Friday, advising that her health documents had been impacted in the data breach “and offering their sincere apologies”.

“I was directed to the website to log on for more information about the health data that was impacted,” she said. “When I logged on, I was advised I was my personal health data was not affected by the breach.

“It is very hard to have any faith in Manage My Health to ‘manage’ this situation and protect my health information.”

Where were checks and balances, patients ask

Lou* is angry with the criminals behind the ransomware attack – but even more furious with Manage My Health’s “arguably criminal negligence” and poor communication.

“I know for a fact, based on the limited information provided by Manage My Health, that some of my most sensitive information is now in the hands of someone unknown, and there is now a crescendoed risk of me being targeted for scams and potential ID theft.

“The potential documents now hanging in the balance contain a lifetime’s details of health records… hugely vulnerable details of my worst moments, healthwise.

“Beyond that, we have not yet been informed of further data now made available as ammunition.”

It was hard to understand how a private company had been allowed to store highly sensitive information without basic safeguards, Lou said.

Overseas users locked out

A New Zealander currently based overseas said Manage My Health had blocked her ability to secure her account, ironically, for “security reasons”.

The email from Manage My Health informing her that her account had been affected listed three recommended security steps – changing her password, enabling multi-factor authentication and “stay[ing] alert for any unusual account activity”.

“However, because I am overseas, MMH has blocked my ability to access my account.

“The email I received from MMH suggests that this is because of recent steps MMH has taken to tighten security – ‘We’ve added extra checks when people log in and limited how many times someone can try to access the system in a short time’.

“However, as a legitimate user of the MMH system who just happens to be overseas right now, I find myself unable to implement any of the recommended security steps or access any of the information in my MMH account.”

She said she was frustrated with the time Manage My Health had taken to make contact and the additional barriers.

“This is a frustrating over-correction. Not only does it prevent me from taking the steps necessary to secure my information, it also appears to be another privacy breach.

“I can no longer access my own personal health information, without sharing my login details with somebody who is located in NZ, which I imagine is also a breach of MMH’s terms.”

Blank emails

Grant* said he received an email on Friday morning headed “Important: Information About Your Manage My Health Account”, but the email was completely blank.

“I don’t know if my data has been compromised or not.

“My wife opened it with the mobile phone and had the information that my details had been accessed, but trying on the desktop, there’s nothing showing on the email.

Gemma* said she was also told that her account had been impacted, with a “summary” of the incident, but could not get through on the 0800 number provided.

“I called this morning and was 13th in the queue, before it cut me off, and it’s now overloaded and tells you to try again in a hour.

“Needless to say, I still haven’t been able to get through. It does go onto tell you the steps that have been taken.

“The email also says you have the right to complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, but fails to tell you that the OPC won’t accept a complaint, until you have complained to the provider first.”

Manage My Health has apologised for the cybersecurity breach and said it hoped to have contacted all affected patients by early next week.

*names changed for privacy reasons

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

‘In God’s timing’: Tonga’s Katoa back at training two months after severe head injury

By Evening Report -

January 9, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Eliesa Katoa Joshua Devenie / Photosport

Tonga rugby league star Eli Katoa is back on the training paddock, but in a limited capacity, two months after being admitted to hospital with a serious head injury.

Eli Katoa’s club, the Melbourne Storm, has posted video of him taking part in passing drills.

Head knocks before and during Tonga’s Pacific Championships match against New Zealand in November saw Katoa ultimately requiring brain surgery.

Storm director of football, Frank Ponissi, told the Storm website this week there’s still a “long, long journey” ahead of Katoa.

“It’s been a pretty challenging time for Eli and his family over the past couple of months. He’s had some dark days,” Ponissi said.

“For him yesterday just to be out there, just be around the boys and do a little bit – wasn’t too much, but it was just a little bit – it’s great for his wellbeing.”

Ponissi said Katoa is on a heavily restricted programme.

“We know that medically the doctors have ruled him out for the season, but that won’t stop Eli being around the group, and training around the group.

“He’s making great inroads physically but more importantly it’s just for his own wellbeing, just to be around the group and feel like he’s really contributing.”

Katoa has previously told fans he hopes to be back soon “in God’s timing”.

Storm team-mate, Jarome Hughes, told Channel Nine in Australia there were a lot of things for Katoa to tick off before he could even think about playing again, but it was good to have him around the group.

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

Manage My Health patients draw blanks in quest for information on cyber-security breach