Wednesday 25th of February 2026 12:23:36 AM
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Weather: Heat alerts issued as temperatures soar across New Zealand

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Summer in Eastbourne, Wellington. RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

Temperatures are forecast to top 30 degrees in many places, and heat alerts have been issued for Hastings, Napier, Whakatāne, Motueka, Blenheim and Kaikōura.

While the six spots across the country have been sweltering on Friday, that will expand to fourteen towns and cities on Saturday as temperatures continue to climb.

“Records could roll,” MetService said.

Napier, Hastings and Christchurch had the equal highest temperatures on Friday, reaching 32 degrees – although some temperatures could peak around 5pm, said meteorologist Samkelo Magwala.

They were followed by Whakātane on 31 degrees and Gisborne on 30 degrees, while many other places reached 29 degrees, he said.

Christchurch hit its high before midday, but swiftly dropped 10 degrees due to southerly winds blowing through the region.

Heat alerts are in place on Saturday for Paihia and Russell, Whangārei, Whitianga, Tauranga, Whakatāne, Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Masterton, Motueka, Blenheim, Kaikōura and Christchurch.

“Remember that heat alerts are more than just a typical hot summer’s day,” MetService said.

It issued alerts when there were two consecutive days of higher-than-average temperatures forecast.

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

That would well exceed 2025’s record temperature: 35.6 degrees, recorded in Kawerau on 7 December.

Hundreds of young cricketers battled the Hawke’s Bay heat as an annual tournament forged on.

Coaches and managers were preparing with lots of water and ice, and may cut overs short, said Hawke’s Bay Cricket Association boss Craig Findlay.

Last year, games were played in 16 to 17 degrees and drizzle, he said.

Hawke’s Bay councils were urging people to conserve water amid the heat, with outdoor water bans or restrictions in place across the region.

“When it’s this hot, it’s about more than just following the restrictions,” Hastings District Council said.

“We need residents to be extra mindful and avoid unnecessary outdoor water use where possible, such as cleaning cars or house exteriors.”

Te Mata Park was closed for the weekend due to extreme fire risk.

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, Tairāwhiti, and Northland, it said.

There were a number of places across the country where fires were 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.

Rain, wind, heat ahead for South Island

The South Island is bracing for gales and scorching temperatures in the east and a deluge for the West Coast.

Most of the South Island is covered by MetService warnings or watches this weekend.

Severe gales northwesterlies gusting up to 130 kilometres are predicted for parts of Canterbury from Saturday night, and heavy rain warnings are in place for Westland and Fiordland, where up to 300mm could fall.

The Transport Agency said people should drive to the conditions and plan ahead as heavy rain can cause flooding and slips.

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

‘Poor man’s gold’ comes in from the cold

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Source: Radio New Zealand

123rf

  • Silver prices increased 150% in 2025
  • Gold rose by “just” 65% last year
  • Silver “dual use,” complicates supply

Often dismissed as “the poor man’s gold”, silver outshone its more famous roommate in 2025, staging its biggest rally in modern trading history and smashing through 45‑year highs.

Those previous highs – around US$50 an ounce – were set in the early 1980s when the now‑infamous billionaire Nelson Bunker Hunt attempted to corner the global silver market.

This time, however, the rally has been driven not by manipulation, but by a powerful mix of industrial demand, tightening supply, and resurgent investor interest.

Gold prices may have surged 65 percent to around US$4300 in 2025, but silver more than doubled that performance, finishing the year 148 percent higher at US$71.60 an ounce.

The dual use precious metal

Many of the forces that propelled gold higher last year also supported silver.

For centuries gold has served as a store of wealth – rare, dense, and importantly, gold doesn’t rust.

In today’s world, it is also used as a hedge against geopolitical risk, inflation, and the steady debasement of fiat currencies.

Local bullion dealer NZGold estimates that central banks collectively purchased 600 metric tonnes of physical gold in 2025 – worth around US$86 billion (NZ$150 billion) – as they continued diversifying away from the US dollar.

Silver, though more abundant, shares several of gold’s investor‑friendly traits, including durability and its function as a monetary metal, and it doesn’t rust.

Unlike gold, silver also has widespread industrial applications.

Most solar panels require silver, and it is a critical component in the electronics, semiconductor, and electric‑vehicle battery supply chains.

Demand from renewable energy, electrification, and AI‑driven data‑centre expansion is forecast to underpin future consumption.

Silver supply melts away

Years of underinvestment in silver mining have contributed to a cumulative supply deficit of 796 million ounces between 2021 and 2025 – worth roughly US$62b (NZ$108b) at 2025 prices, according to the World Silver Survey.

Compounding the issue, 70-75 percent of global silver output is produced as a by‑product of mining copper, lead, zinc, and gold, meaning higher silver prices do not easily translate into higher silver production.

Concerns about future supply shortages led the United States to officially designate silver as a critical mineral.

Combined with returning investor appetite on the back of rising gold prices, the reasons behind silver’s explosive rally become clear.

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

Sir Tim Shadbolt turned around Invercargill’s slide – former council CEO

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Sir Tim Shadbolt RNZ / Tess Brunton

Comedian Gary McCormick, a lifelong friend of Sir Tim Shadbolt, says the mayor was fearless but armed with “a landmark smile and laugh” that won people over.

The former Invercargill and Waitematā mayor, who was also an activist and student radical, died on Thursday at the age of 78.

McCormick told Summer Times it was a sad day for New Zealand.

He said he was sitting looking at photos of Sir Tim who did some 60 shows with McCormick around the country.

“He had that landmark smile and laugh. It was impossible for him to be depressed, whether he was in jail, arrested by the police or undergoing the rigours of a council meeting.”

Gary McCormick says Sir Tim Shadbolt’s death marks as a sad day for the country. supplied

McCormick said Sir Tim had a rare gift for leadership.

“He led by example, he was charismatic and he cut through the nonsense,” he told RNZ. It was a style befitting a man who had been in trouble as a student for using the word “bullshit”.

“There was no bullshit about him. He had a strange kind of fearlessness. He was not awed by people in high positions, whether that was police or anyone else. In jail, everyone liked him.”

McCormick met Sir Tim at a protest in front of Parliament when both were arrested by police in the mid-1970s.

“I was the first into the paddy wagon. My parents were deeply shocked, watching on TV at home in Titahi Bay. Tim was next in. We spent the day in the cells and became friends. We were eventually let go by a wise magistrate who thought if you can’t protest at Parliament, where can you protest.”

‘One of the great characters of his generation’

Sir Tim was one of the “characters of his generation”, former prime minister Helen Clark says.

Speaking to RNZ, she said Shadbolt would have a go at anything and do it fearlessly and in good humour.

“I think we miss some of the characters now in politics, that humour – it has all got a bit more pedestrian.”

Sir Tim Shadbolt with Dame Jacinda Ardern. Otago Daily Times / Laura Smith

Clark remembered Sir Tim from his days as a student activist on the Auckand University campus in the late 1960s. He had formed a political party calling itself the Auckland University Society for the Active Prevention of Cruelty to Politically Apathetic Humans – or AUSA POCPAH

“They used to dress in big capes, looking like the Wizard of Christchurch, and he had an alsatian dog.

“You could never forget him, with his look and capes and dog.

“He was a very good humoured guy who did crazy things.”

Clark said he would take on any cause or role fearlessly.

“When he stood for the mayoralty of Waitakere council, I think a lot of people were probably aghast. But he formed ‘Tim’s Team’ and it did very well for a while.

“And while his last years at Invercargill may not have been great for him, he always had the courage to give things a go. He was one of the great characters of his generation.”

Huge influence on Southland’s fortunes

The former chief executive of Invercargill City Council says Sir Tim Shadbolt was central to efforts to turn around the city’s fortunes.

Richard King met Sir Tim at a rally in his student activist days, and later worked with him for more than 20 years.

He told Morning Report Invercargill was once the fastest-declining city in Australasia, but Sir Tim helped attract jobs and people, in part by championing free tertiary fees.

“That had a huge boost to the city. You had more students spending money, you had people coming like outside investors, buying up houses so they could rent them to the students, and many students decided to stay,” he said.

Sir Tim loved people and was the kind of man who would “give you the shirt off his back.”

He could connect with anyone within minutes, King said.

“He was the sort of person [who] he could walk into a room without knowing anybody – and five minutes later, 95 percent of them were eating out of his hand,” he said.

“When he came to Invercargill, people really rallied around and supported him big time.”

Although political opposition later took its toll, Sir Tim had a good run, King said.

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

Six whales die, others now swimming freely after stranding at Farewell Spit

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Source: Radio New Zealand

People tending to the whales at Farewell Spit yesterday. Supplied / Project Jonah

Project Jonah says 15 stranded pilot whales at Farewell Spit are now swimming freely in the bay.

More than 50 whales were stranded on Thursday and six have since died.

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

Volunteers stood down by 10pm but promised to be back at first light, alongside Department of Conservation staff. Supplied / Project Jonah New Zealand

The Department of Conservation 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”.

“The spit hooks around the northern entrance into Golden Bay forming extensive intertidal sand flats flanked by gently shelving waters offshore. Whales may be easily deceived and caught out by the gently sloping tidal flats and a rapidly falling tide.

“Pilot whales have strong social bonds and if one whale heads into shallow water, the rest of the pod will follow due to their natural instinct to look after one another.”

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

Former NZ mayoral hopeful arrested at Venezuela solidarity protest

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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 attempting to film the protest, was seen scuffling with two protesters.

They were taken by officers into a police van and were driven away.

Police break up the protest scuffle in Wellington. Video: RNZ

Bloxham runs the Facebook page WellingtonLive and has faced controversy in the past after being arrested for failing to stop for police, and being told by the Employment Relations Authority to pay a former employee $30,000.

His charges for failing to stop for police were dismissed.

Last year, he also posted on social media that he was the victim of an unprovoked assault in Oriental Bay.

A police spokesperson said three people were arrested for disorder and charges are being considered.

Right to protest
The spokesperson said police recognised the lawful right to protest and maintained a presence to ensure the safety of all involved.

RNZ has contacted Bloxham for comment.

The group was protesting outside MFAT against the US military intervention in Venezuela, and calling for the New Zealand government to take a stronger stance.

Since the attack on Vanezuela and capture of president Nicolás Maduro, there has been one statement from Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, in which he expressed concern at developments and called on all parties to act in accordance with international law.

The protest against the US military action in Venezuela outside New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) on Lambton Quay. Image: RNZ/Mark Papalii

The prime minister Christopher Luxon is yet to comment.

Valerie Morse from Peace Action Wellington said the United States’ involvement in Venezuela was contrary to international law, and the New Zealand government’s response had been “pathetic”.

“I think they’re obviously very concerned about their relationship with Washington. They do not want to antagonise Donald Trump,” she said.

Eduardo Salazar Moreira from Peru said the the US intervention was about oil, not democracy.

Oil, not democracy
“There’s always been imperialism by the US, especially in Latin America, but they’re going back to this older, more blatant, more explicit version of imperialism that’s way more active.”

He said New Zealand had a voice on the global stage, and should be using it.

“New Zealand does have a voice, and they should use it, because if we’ll let this happen in Latin America, and then it’ll happen everywhere, not just by Trump.

“It’ll happen by other superpowers in this new multipolar world that we have now, and that’s when we’ll be a really small country that can’t do much when we let that happen.”

“Hands off Cuba” and “Hands off Venezuela” placards at the solidarity rally for Venezuela this week. Image: RNZ/Mark Papalii

A small number of counter-protesters were also present.

Nathalie Wierdak, who is from Venezuela, said she disagreed with the protesters, particularly those who had signs calling for Maduro’s release.

She said the protesters should have talked to people from Venezuela first before deciding to rally.

Protest not pro-Maduro
“Maduro is a criminal. He has committed several crimes against many Venezuelans. He has more than 8000 registered cases of human rights violations in our country.

“So I don’t think that it’s right that people who are not Venezuelan are protesting for us and speaking for us, and they’re claiming to Free Maduro who is a criminal and Cilia Flores who is also a criminal.”

Morse said the protest was not pro-Maduro.

“We are not in favour of a violent dictatorship, and that’s what Maduro’s regime was. There’s nobody here supporting Maduro.

“We want freedom and democracy for the people of Venezuela, we just don’t think that the United States’ involvement is likely to deliver that for the people of Venezuela. What it’s likely to deliver is a lot more hardship.”

Protesters and counter-protesters were seen speaking civilly to each other following the rally’s dissolution.

New Zealand solidarity protesters for Venezuela. Image: RNZ/Mark Papalii

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

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

View from The Hill: Albanese’s backflip on royal commission is a humiliating own goal

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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 him.

He knew public feeling. In a pre-Christmas Resolve poll, 48% supported a royal commission. Only 17% opposed, with 34% unsure or neutral.

Unsurprisingly, Albanese is not admitting he was wrong, putting the most positive spin on his retreat. The government had listened, he said. He also sought to give the impression the royal commission announcement was part of a deliberate process, coming at the back-end of a series of other actions. And he’d wanted to have all the detail in place, including the commissioner chosen and terms of reference worked out, before an announcement.

Albanese has absolutely (finally) reached the right decision. But leaders should be held accountable, so it’s important to recall the reasons he’d been so categorical about in earlier maintaining this was not the right course.

A long-running commission would slow the response to the Bondi massacre, he said. He insisted the inquiry being undertaken by former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson into the performance of the intelligence and security agencies, plus the planned toughening of federal hate speech laws, the national cabinet’s action on gun reform, and implementation of special envoy Jillian Segal’s recommendations on combating antisemitism, were enough.

Anyway, he argued, the New South Wales government had declared it would set up a royal commission and the federal government would cooperate with that.

Also, he feared a royal commission would put further strains on social cohesion.

Now Albanese says the problems have been overcome or subsumed and the commission is required. It will only last just under a year, reporting by the anniversary of the December 14 Bondi attack. The Richardson inquiry will be rolled in, with its original April reporting date intact. The commission won’t interfere with anything else being done. A commission that could have undermined social cohesion is now seen as needed to help build social cohesion.

Anyway, Albanese says, the planned NSW royal commission (abandoned after the federal announcement) would have amounted to a national, royal commission, given federal cooperation had been promised.

Albanese would have saved himself much grief if he had announced a federal royal commission before Christmas when NSW Premier Chris Minns foreshadowed that he would establish a state one.

Instead, the prime minister waited until his situation had become politically untenable. A swell of public opinion, combined with enormous pressure from the families of Bondi victims and the Jewish community generally, a campaign of public statements from notables ranging from eminent lawyers to big sporting names, and the public raising of some voices (although still very few) within Labor, meant Albanese could hold out no longer.

He has picked respected former High Court judge Virginia Bell to conduct the commission. Bell previously was asked by the Albanese government to look into former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s multiple ministries during COVID – her report was scathing.

Some in the Jewish community, including former Liberal Deputy Leader Josh Frydenberg, did not want Bell. Although her integrity was not in question, there was a concern she was Labor-friendly. But now Frydenberg and other critics have got behind her.

Her terms of reference are broad:

  1. Tackling antisemitism by investigating the nature and prevalence of antisemitism and examine key drivers in Australia, including religiously motivated extremism.

  2. Making recommendations to enforcement, border, immigration and security agencies to tackle antisemitism.

  3. Examining the circumstances surrounding the Bondi Beach terrorist attack in December.

  4. Making recommendations to strengthen social cohesion in Australia and countering the spread of ideologically and religiously motivated extremism in Australia.

Critics have questioned whether the inquiry will properly scrutinise the federal government’s efforts to combat antisemitism in the last two years. But the terms of reference should enable that.

The opposition, which has consistently called for a royal commission, is being being cautious in its response. Opposition Leader Susan Ley says the commission is a victory for advocacy; she hasn’t promised the opposition will hold its criticism of the government on antisemitism now the inquiry is underway. The opposition (incidentally facing its own internal divisions over gun reforms) wanted a three-person commission, including a commissioner from the Jewish community. Ley says the inquiry must “reach into every quarter where antisemitism is present”.

This inquiry will be a vastly tougher job for Bell, given the enormous scope of the issue, than the simple probe she did into Morrison’s behaviour.

She will be working very fast on a hydra-headed issue. It will take her everywhere, from judgements about academic freedom and free speech to how an immigrant nation handles the integration of its diverse arrivals, from the dangers of foreign interference to the preservation of religious freedoms, from the world of culture to the nature of Australian values.

The royal commission’s title embraces “antisemitism and social cohesion” – the latter is the glue that must hold together our multicultural society. That can be elusive at best, and easily weakened by external and internal pressures.

Royal commissions can start in one place and end in several vastly different ones. Some might remember the royal commission into the painters and dockers in the 1980s. What started as an investigation of a crime-infested union ended by exposing industrial scale tax evasion, the notorious “bottom of the harbour” scheme, with companies asset-stripping to get around tax liabilities.

A royal commission can open a Pandora’s box – and that can be its virtue.

The Conversation

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

– ref. View from The Hill: Albanese’s backflip on royal commission is a humiliating own goal – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-albaneses-backflip-on-royal-commission-is-a-humiliating-own-goal-272439

How to protect yourself from bushfire smoke

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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 your health. Some of us – including older people and those with pre-existing health conditions – are particularly vulnerable.

There is no safe level of exposure. So here’s what to know and how to minimise your risk.

How can smoke affect your health?

Bushfire smoke contains a mix of particles (including fine particulate matter, or PM2.5) and vapours and gases, such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

Breathing in this toxic mixture can affect how much oxygen our lungs can absorb and how well the cells in our bodies work.

Being exposed to smoke can affect your health immediately and in the long term. The risks increase with the amount you’re exposed to – usually related to how close the fire is – and for how long.

In the short term, you might have itchy eyes, a runny nose or sore throat, and wheezing or coughing.

In healthy people, these symptoms often clear up away from smoke. But in vulnerable people, breathing in smoke can be serious and even fatal.

At-risk groups include children, the elderly, people who are pregnant, and those with diabetes or pre-existing heart and lung conditions, such as asthma.

If you experience difficulty breathing, or chest pain or tightness, you should call 000.

The long-term risks are also serious

But these often get less attention.

Sustained exposure to bushfire smoke has been linked to lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It can also increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases, which affect the heart and blood vessels, and other diseases such as dementia and lung and brain cancers.

Short-term exposure can also exacerbate existing lung and heart conditions and lead to hospitalisations and, in some cases, deaths.

Smoke exposure during pregnancy is also risky, as it can reduce birthweight and increase the risk the child will later develop diseases such as asthma. The increased risk of pregnancy loss is very small, but devastating.

How can I tell if air quality is poor?

Often, we can see or smell smoke in the air. But air that seems clear can still pose health risks.

Luckily in Australia we have several reliable sources for information about air quality. These are managed by state, territory and local governments, for example Air Quality New South Wales.

You can find information about where you live by checking the the federal government’s air quality website.

How can I stay safe indoors?

You should avoid breathing in smoke as much as possible. Of course, this can be tricky – but there are some ways to minimise exposure.

If you can, stay indoors with the doors and windows closed.

Set air conditioners to recirculate mode – this stops any any outdoor air from entering the building.

If you have an indoor air purifier, turn it on. Most air purifiers use a physical filter to remove particles from the air. So the more efficient its filtration is, the better it will protect you.

High efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are among the best available. To qualify as a HEPA filter, it must remove at least 99.97% of very small airborne particles.

Make sure to check the manufacturer’s information for efficiency and how it was tested. Look for filters that are certified as “true” HEPA, or H13 or H14 HEPA filters.

And beware of marketing jargon such as “HEPA-style” filter or “99% HEPA” – this designation doesn’t exist and these filters will likely be less effective.

Remember, even HEPA filters are only effective if they are replaced regularly – generally at least every 12 months – and fitted according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Most air conditioners will contain a more basic filter, and sometimes these can be upgraded to a HEPA filter. It’s best to talk to your service agent as not all filters are compatible with all air conditioning units.

Indoor plants can also improve air quality. Research has shown they can help remove the toxic gases found in bushfire smoke. But they can’t remove particles from the air, so it’s best to use them along with an air purifier.



Read more:
Heat, air quality, insurance costs: how climate change is affecting our homes – and our health

If you have to go outside

Wear a mask, especially if you have to be outside for long periods.

Masks that have good filtration (N95, P3 or higher) are the best at preventing you breathing in particles. But these type of masks only work if they form a tight seal on your face.

Selection of N95 masks.
You need to wear a mask with good filtration and make sure it forms a tight seal on your face.
CDC/Pexels

And while N95 or P3 masks reduce risks by removing smoke particles from the air, they do not stop toxic gases from entering your lungs.

People working outdoors close to the bushfire may need a respirator or a gas mask. These filter toxic gases and/or provide clean air.

The best way to know what mask is right for you is to get professionally fitted. Your employer may pay for a “fit test”.

Wearing a surgical mask or pulling a t-shirt or scarf over your face offers very little protection. It’s better than nothing, but should only be done as a last resort.

If you are close to the fire, a mask won’t be enough. You need to take extra precautions such as those outlined by the rural fire service to protect you from smoke as well as heat and embers.

The takeaway

If you’re concerned about smoke, it’s important to talk to your health-care provider – especially if you’re pregnant or have a pre-existing health condition. In an emergency, call triple 000.

The Conversation

Brian Oliver receives funding from the NH&MRC and the ARC. He is affiliated with Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, and the European Respiratory Society.

– ref. How to protect yourself from bushfire smoke – https://theconversation.com/how-to-protect-yourself-from-bushfire-smoke-272065

ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for January 9, 2026

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ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on January 9, 2026.

These are the 6 key questions the antisemitism royal commission needs to answer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josh Roose, Associate Professor of Politics, Deakin University After weeks of mounting pressure, the government has called a royal commission to look into antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed former High Court judge Virginia Bell to chair the wide-ranging inquiry. It’s required

When bushfires make their own weather
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Sharples, Professor of Bushfire Dynamics, School of Science, UNSW Canberra, UNSW Sydney Bushfires are strongly driven by weather: hot, dry and windy conditions can combine to create the perfect environment for flames to spread across the landscape. But sometimes the relationship flips: fires can generate their

Pets suffer in extreme heat. An animal welfare expert explains how we can help them
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mia Cobb, Research Fellow, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne Anna Tarazevich/Pexels The multi-day heatwave conditions have arrived this summer, with temperatures soaring past 45°C in some regions. While we may head to shopping centres or cinemas to stay comfortable, we need to consider the

PNG’s lethal Tsak Valley raid and deeper crisis over guns, policing, trust in Enga
SPECIAL REPORT: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent A Papua New Guinea police operation in Tsak Valley, Enga Province, in the early hours of Friday, 2 January 2026 — which resulted in five deaths — has prompted calls for an independent investigation following sharply differing accounts of events from police and community sources, as

Hamnet: by centring Anne Hathaway, this sensuous film gives Shakespeare’s world new life
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roberta Garrett, Senior Lecturer in Literature and Cultural Studies, University of East London For films and books about Shakespeare’s life, there is little source material to draw on beyond the few known facts of the great writer’s parentage, hometown, marriage, children, property and death. Shakespeare biopics therefore

Greenland is rich in natural resources – a geologist explains why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Paul, Associate Professor in Earth Science, Royal Holloway, University of London Greenland’s concentration of natural resource wealth is tied to its hugely varied geological history over the past 4 billion years. Jane Rix/Shutterstock Greenland, the largest island on Earth, possesses some of the richest stores of

Your dog’s dinner could be worse for the planet than your own – new research
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Harvey, PhD Researcher, Global Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Edinburgh; University of Exeter Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock Cutting down the amount of meat we eat helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture. But what about the meat that our pet dogs eat? Our new study shows that

Can we use bees as a model of intelligent alien life to develop interstellar communication?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlett Howard, Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University Scarlett Howard Humans have always been fascinated with space. We frequently question whether we are alone in the universe. If not, what does intelligent life look like? And how would aliens communicate? The possibility of extraterrestrial life

4 pivotal elections around the world that will pose a test to democracy in 2026
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jean-Nicolas Bordeleau, Research Fellow, Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies, Flinders University Amid increasing polarisation, disinformation and economic anxieties, the health of representative democracies will be tested in elections across all continents in 2026. There are four pivotal elections that will either reinforce democratic norms

We discovered microbes in bark ‘eat’ climate gases. This will change the way we think about trees
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Jeffrey, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Southern Cross University boris misevic knqZ N qJQk unsplash Boris Misevic/Unsplash, CC BY We all know trees are climate heroes. They pull carbon dioxide out of the air, release the oxygen we breathe, and help combat climate change. Now, for the first

Despite new tariffs on beef, China is far from closing the door on trade with Australia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Laurenceson, Director and Professor, Australia-China Relations Institute (UTS:ACRI), University of Technology Sydney Australia has been reminded once again that China isn’t always a reliable trading partner. Last week, on New Year’s Eve, Chinese authorities announced new trade restrictions to protect the country’s domestic beef industry. Effective

How Bluey uses religious parables to teach lessons we all need
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Lawson, PhD Candidate in Ancient Linguistics, School of Theology, Faculty of Arts and Education, Charles Sturt University Ludo Studios Bluey is a smart show that draws on all kinds of inspirations for its charming stories, including religious ones. My newly published research looks at what Bluey

South Africa’s addressing system is still not in place: a clear vision is needed
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharthi Laldaparsad, PhD Student, University of Pretoria Informal settlement in South Africa. By Matt-80 – Own work, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY “Turn right after the first big tree; my house is the one with the yellow door.” In parts of South Africa, where settlements

‘An extraordinary, charismatic man’: Sir Tim Shadbolt dies at 78
New Zealand former Invercargill and Waitematā mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt died today. He was 78. Sir Tim, who was awarded the Knight Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List, served eight terms as Invercargill Mayor between 1993 and 1995, and again between 1998-2022, and two terms as Waitematā

Jonathan Cook: From Gaza to Venezuela, the US has been unmasked as the serial villain
The path to Caracas — and potentially next to Colombia, Cuba and Greenland, other targets of Donald Trump’s colonial greed– was paved in Gaza, writes Jonathan Cook. ANALYSIS: By Jonathan Cook For decades, the United States and Israel have stuck closely to their respective, scripted roles in the Middle East: the job of good cop

My home is in a district facing extreme or catastrophic fire danger. What should I do?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah McColl-Gausden, Research fellow, The University of Melbourne The Longwood fire on the night of January 7, 2026 Getty Across Australia there are a number of fire districts facing extreme or catastrophic fire danger ratings in this ongoing heatwave. In Victoria, the Wimmera, Northern Country and North

Victoria bushfires at a glance
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Digital Storytelling Team, The Conversation The Sassafras-Ferny Creek Fire Brigade is dispatched to the Longwood fire on January 7, 2026. Sassafras-Ferny Creek Fire Brigade CFA/Facebook Victoria is bracing for potentially catastrophic bushfire conditions on Friday, with temperatures expected to top 40°C for the third day in a

Photos of attack on Palestine activist’s property ‘censored’ by Facebook
COMMENTARY: By Saige England What happened at New Zealand human rights campaigner John Minto’s home? Let me tell you. Let me tell you that he wrote about it and Facebook took it down. Yep. Wrong after wrong. Minto, national co-chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) advocacy and protest group, has been arrested at

Older people are more vulnerable in heatwaves. Here’s why – and how to stay safe
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron Bach, Researcher and Lecturer in Exercise Science, Griffith University solidcolours/Getty Southeast Australia is enduring a record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures rising above 40ºC in many areas. For vulnerable people, particularly older Australians, this heat is not only uncomfortable but dangerous. High temperatures can worsen existing health problems

Roads can become more dangerous on hot days – especially for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne Munbaik Cycling Clothing/Unsplash During heatwaves, everyday life tends to feel more difficult than on an average day. Travel and daily movement are no exception. But while most of us know rain,

‘Matinee Idle’ co-hosts Phil O’Brien and Simon Morris sign off

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Source: Radio New Zealand

After 21 summers of gleeful mischief, Matinee Idle co-hosts Phil O’Brien and Simon Morris have signed off from one of RNZ’s most gloriously divisive programmes, with the show ending its run in its current format.

Affectionately known to loyal listeners as Uncle Phil and cousin Si, the duo today closed a chapter that began as a two-week summer stopgap and evolved into a cult favourite that audiences either adored or actively despised.

From the outset, Matinee Idle was a gamble, O’Brien says. Handed rare creative freedom, he ignored commercial playlists in favour of instinct.

Supplied

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

Firefighters suffer burns, heat exhaustion while battling house fire

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Two firefighters battling a house fire in Waikanae needed medical treatment, with one suffering a burn and the other overcome by heat exhaustion.

Fire and Emergency NZ said it was alerted at 10.15am on Friday to the blaze in Reikorangi Road on the outskirts of town, near the wastewater treatment plant.

Shift manager Chris Dalton said the building was already well-alight when crews arrived on the scene.

“It went to a third alarm with eight urban fire trucks in attendance with a water tank and breathing apparatus and a command vehicle.

“One firefighter suffered a minor burn and another required treatment for heat stress, but because there was already an ambulance at the scene (due to the third alarm), they were able to be treated there, and I don’t believe either needed to be transported to hospital.”

The fire had since been extinguished, but four hours later, three crews remained at the scene, securing the area and carrying out the initial investigation, he said.

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These are the 6 key questions the antisemitism royal commission needs to answer

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josh Roose, Associate Professor of Politics, Deakin University

After weeks of mounting pressure, the government has called a royal commission to look into antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed former High Court judge Virginia Bell to chair the wide-ranging inquiry. It’s required to report by December 14 2026: the one-year anniversary of the Bondi terror attack taregting the Jewish community, in which 15 people died at a Hanukkah event.

The royal commission will take in the Richardson inquiry, which was already looking into law enforcement responses to the attack. An interim report on that work will be handed down in April.

It’s welcome news. In a politically contested environment, the decision represents leadership and bipartisan recognition that a threshold has been crossed. The deadliest attack on Jewish people since the October 7 2023 Hamas assault on southern Israel – and the deadliest terrorist attack in Australia’s history – did not occur in isolation. Nor can it be explained as a security failure alone.

It was the product of deeper ideological convergences and institutional and social breakdowns that now demand national scrutiny.

What will the royal commission examine?

Albanese outlined four key areas in the terms of reference, which determine the scope of the inquiry. They are:

  1. Tackling antisemitism by investigating the nature and prevalence of antisemitism and examine key drivers in Australia, including religiously motivated extremism.

  2. Making recommendations to enforcement, border, immigration and security agencies to tackle antisemitism.

  3. Examining the circumstances surrounding the Bondi Beach terrorist attack in December.

  4. Making recommendations to strengthen social cohesion in Australia.

By investigating these concerns, the aim should be to prevent such an attack from happening again, and to eradicate antisemitism from Australia’s public institutions and civic life.

Achieving this means holding people responsible. This does not necessitate a descent into blame, but it does require clarity about who enabled harm, who failed to act, and who benefited from silence, ambiguity or procedural delay.

This means asking tough questions. There will be many, but here are six key ones that need answers.



Read more:
What is a royal commission? Could one into the Bondi attack create meaningful change?

6 key questions

1. How did Islamist radicalisation continue, largely unabated?

The commission must examine how those espousing Salafi jihadist ideology continued to circulate, recruit and radicalise in Australia, despite longstanding warnings and expressions of concern from Jewish community members, leaders and counter-terrorism experts.

It should assess whether concerns about electoral sensitivity, community backlash, or accusations of anti-Muslim racism inhibited decisive action. This includes scrutiny of funding streams, community gatekeepers, foreign influence, and whether security agencies were constrained in addressing networks that framed antisemitic violence as religiously justified.

It must also assess whether the current safeguards are adequate to identify and disrupt ideological influence in Australia that’s funded and coordinated overseas.

2. How did far-left language permit or excuse violence?

The commission must examine the role of the language of decolonisation, resistance and “anti-Zionism” to legitimise hostility towards Jews and, in some cases, violence.

Research has shown how concepts drawn from postcolonial critique have been selectively used by some critics of Israel to flatten history and recast Jewish identity as illegitimate.

This is not an argument against academic freedom, legitimate scholarship or fair criticism of the Israeli government. The issue is how these interpretations moved from academic settings into activist and institutional spaces, where many felt they were used to justify exclusion and intimidation of Jewish people.

This rhetoric has also spread into parts of the mainstream left, where Jewish concerns were sometimes met with moral equivalence or deflection rather than engagement.

3. How did far-right extremists continue to organise and incite violence?

The royal commission should also investigate the role of far-right and neo-Nazi actors who treat antisemitism as a core organising ideology.

This includes assessing how white supremacist networks spread conspiratorial narratives, glorify violence and frame Jews as existential threats. It must also address the appropriateness of law enforcement and intelligence responses.

The commission must determine whether warning signs were recognised, whether disruption strategies were effective, and whether legislative or resourcing gaps allowed these far-right actors to operate with relative impunity.

4. Which institutions failed to uphold their duty of care, and why?

The commission must scrutinise how antisemitic narratives were allowed to take root within institutions entrusted with public authority.

Universities warrant particular attention. Current scrutiny has resulted in little meaningful change.

For example, Jewish students and staff reported feeling pressured to adopt political positions, criticised for the actions of a foreign government they neither elected nor necessarily supported, and intimidated when they refused.

Despite public statements and taskforces, protections were often delayed or inconsistently applied. A Labor-led Senate inquiry called the universities’ responses to anti-Jewish sentiment “woefully inadequate”.

Getting to the bottom of this means examining how university leaders assessed risk, handled complaints and enforced their obligations to protect students.

5. How did media and online ecosystems legitimise antisemitism?

Antisemitic tropes now circulate well beyond extremist forums. They appear in mainstream media, cartoons, slogans and online commentary, reproducing conspiracies about Jewish power and manipulation.

The commission must assess where editorial judgement failed at Australian media organisations, where platform governance was inadequate, and how these environments contributed to the normalisation of extremist narratives.

6. Why did political leadership and social cohesion mechanisms fail to respond to warning signs?

The commission must examine how political leadership – through action, ambiguity or inaction – shaped the responses to rising antisemitism in Australia, as well.

This includes scrutiny of those who participated in protests with violent rhetoric. It also means looking at the clarity of public condemnations of antisemitic incidents and the extent to which Jewish concerns were made into partisan issues.



Read more:
A new definition of antisemitism from Universities Australia is attracting criticism – two historians explain why

Finally, Jewish leaders repeatedly raised concerns about rising antisemitism. The commission must assess how those warnings were received and acted upon.

In summary, a royal commission of this kind cannot succeed without the courage to ask difficult questions. These are central to addressing what should be the core aims of the commission.

Honest introspection is not a threat to democracy or social cohesion. Preventing a recurrence of this moment in Australian history requires confronting uncomfortable truths about ideology, institutions, leadership, and the limits of Australia’s own assumptions.

The Conversation

Josh Roose receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is the current President of the Australian Association for the Study of Religion (AASR).

– ref. These are the 6 key questions the antisemitism royal commission needs to answer – https://theconversation.com/these-are-the-6-key-questions-the-antisemitism-royal-commission-needs-to-answer-273010

Hundreds of young cricketers battle Hawke’s Bay heat for annual tournament

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Supplied / Wellington Collegians Cricket Club

Hundreds of young cricketers are battling the Hawke’s Bay heat as an annual tournament forges on with temperatures forecast to reach 38C this weekend.

Hawke’s Bay Cricket Camps have been running since 1979 and Hawke’s Bay Cricket Association boss Craig Findlay said scorching temperatures would not stop it.

“We’ve had days that have been in mid 30s before, many a time,” he said.

“I know most of the team management and coaching staff should be prepared for getting lots of water and ice and they can have breaks if they need to,” he said.

Umpires might “get the old spray bottle out”, Findlay said.

“It could be a challenge, especially for people who don’t live in Hawke’s Bay.”

But the tournament was more about development than competition, Findlay said.

Supplied / Wellington Collegians Cricket Club

“There’s no representative side of things or anything that you have to find a winner and the games have to be played to the letter of the law.

“So that’s the other bonus that they could shorten it to 20 overs if they wanted to instead of playing a 30 over game.”

Findlay said the weather was in stark contrast to last year.

“Last year we had temperatures of 16, 17C and a little bit of drizzle.”

Supplied / Wellington Collegians Cricket Club

Findlay loved the heat and was thankful he was not having to scramble with rain-induced back up plans, he said.

Napier and Hastings are under heat alerts on Friday and Saturday, but it would really ramp up on Sunday with 38C forecast for Hastings and 36C for Napier.

The camps began on Monday, and there would be 500 games involving 174 North Island teams played across three weeks, Findlay said.

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Watch: Large fire engulfs building in Auckland’s Pakuranga

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A building in Pakuranga has been completely destroyed by fire and a person seriously hurt, with flames leaping from the roof, a local business owner says.

The fire broke out shortly after midday and firefighters, ambulance and police are at the scene. It was also in the midst of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) strike. Members of the union had stopped work for an hour between 12pm and 1pm.

One person, in serious condition, had been taken to Middlemore Hospital, St John said.

A large fire at a business in Pakuranga. EAST SKATE CLUB / SUPPLIED

Fire and Emergency New Zealand deputy national commander Megan Stiffler said volunteer crews from Beachlands, Clevedon, Laingholm and Waitākere were at the scene along with senior officers, with further volunteer crews on the way.

“Due to the location, it took 30 minutes for the nearest volunteer crews to travel to the incident. The nearest career station is Mount Wellington, and they would have arrived on scene within seven minutes.”

RNZ / Karl Mirbach

A local business owner said the building is a write-off.

One witness told RNZ Pita House is engulfed with flames, and Cortina Place is shrouded by thick black smoke.

They say the street is currently blocked off by dozens of vehicles including fire engines, police cars and ambulances.

Hato Hone St John said there are no injuries but they are at the scene.

Another local told RNZ the flames and black billowing smoke could be seen from blocks away.

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When bushfires make their own weather

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Sharples, Professor of Bushfire Dynamics, School of Science, UNSW Canberra, UNSW Sydney

Bushfires are strongly driven by weather: hot, dry and windy conditions can combine to create the perfect environment for flames to spread across the landscape.

But sometimes the relationship flips: fires can generate their own weather systems, which can then dramatically alter the spread and intensity of the blaze.

One of the most striking examples of this phenomenon is the formation of pyrocumulonimbus clouds — towering storm clouds born from fire.

How can a fire make winds and clouds?

Large bushfires release enormous amounts of energy – sometimes comparable to that emitted from a nuclear bomb. This heats the air in the vicinity of the fire, causing it to rise rapidly in a powerful, buoyant, fire-driven updraft.

Surrounding air rushes in at ground level to replace the rising hot air, feeding the fire with oxygen like a bellows and sometimes accelerating its spread. In extreme cases, the fire and its induced winds can become a self-sustaining system, feeding and growing from the weather it creates.

If the plume rises high enough it can cool to a temperature where the water vapour in the plume will begin to condense into clouds. This is essentially the same process that leads to the formation of ordinary cumulus clouds, except it occurs within a fire’s plume and is called pyrocumulus.

figure showing different types of cloud.
The classic types of cloud. Pyrocumulus and pyrocumulonimbus are much like their ordinary namesakes, but generated by fire.
Valentin de Bruyn/Wikimedia, CC BY-NC-ND

Fire-generated thunderstorms

If the fire is large and intense enough, the plume can keep rising. As the cloud rises above altitudes of around 3–5 kilometres, temperatures can drop well below freezing. Water droplets freeze into ice crystals, releasing another burst of latent heat that further energises the rising plume.

The rapidly rising plume now contains ice and supercooled water — a mixture that is key to thunderstorm-like processes. It is through this process that a fire-generated thunderstorm is born, a pyrocumulonimbus cloud.

Pyrocumulonimbus clouds can reach altitudes of 10–15 kilometres, penetrating the stratosphere.

A pyrocumulus grows over the Mount Lawson fire.
A pyrocumulus grows over the Mount Lawson fire.
Satchandcogallery/Facebook

Inside them, strong vertical motions generate turbulence, with ice and water droplets colliding and causing the separation of electrical charges. This can result in lightning, often striking far from the original fire front and in some cases igniting new fires.

These clouds can rise so high that they leave a clear signature visible by satellite, including a long shadow cast over the rest of the cloud and smoke. The first pyrocumulonimbus for this summer may have happened yesterday near the border of NSW and Victoria.

Lightning was detected nearby but this was among lightning occurring in many places across the Southeast states, so it may have just been pyrocumulus clouds, which can still present a significant threat. For example, the deadly 2019 Jingellic fire, which produced tornadic winds, developed a towering pyrocumulus but not a pyrocumulonimbus.

The strong updrafts created by pyrocumulonimbus can cause gusty conditions accelerating fire spread and making it less predictable. The storm can produce a strong updraft bringing fresh air in underneath to the fire, while flinging burning embers over 40km potentially creating new fires. At the same time, strong downdrafts created by the storm can flatten trees and create dangerous conditions for firefighters.

When does this happen?

Not every bushfire spawns its own weather. Pyrocumulonimbus formation requires a delicate balance between the size and intensity of the fire and the stability of the atmosphere.

Firstly, the fire must be large and intense enough to release massive amounts of heat. Secondly, the surrounding atmosphere needs to be suitably conducive to vertical motion. Both of these together allow for the plume to rise.

Satellite photo showing a plume of smoke
Smoke plumes from bushfires in Victoria, January 2025.
NASA

Third, moisture in the mid-levels of the atmosphere can enhance the chances of pyrocumulonimbus formation. Moist mid-level air can get caught up in the rising plume and then add to latent heat release when it condenses and freezes, which keeps the plume rising.

The future of fire and thunder

Fire-generated thunderstorms were practically unheard of a few decades ago, but they appear to be becoming more common.

One notable example is the unprecedented number that occurred during the Black Summer of 2019–2020. Other outbreaks include around Melbourne in the Black Saturday fires of 2009 and the Canberra fires in 2003. In all of those cases, the thunderstorms were so intense they injected smoke into stratosphere, where it circled the Earth and affected global climate patterns.

In all of those cases, the thunderstorms were so intense they injected smoke into stratosphere, where it circled the Earth many times. Other examples of extreme weather they can cause include fire-generated tornadoes, as well as black hail in the Canberra fires.

Human-caused climate change has already caused more dangerous weather conditions for bushfires for many regions of Australia, including more dangerous conditions for fire-generated thunderstorms.

Observations show more dangerous conditions are now occurring during summer and also with an earlier start to the fire season, particularly in parts of southern and eastern Australia. These trends are very likely to increase into the future, with climate models showing more dangerous weather conditions for bushfires and fire-generated thunderstorms due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Why understanding this matters

Understanding how bushfires can create their own weather is crucial for forecasting and emergency response. Traditional fire behaviour models often assume that weather drives fire, but when fires start driving weather, those models can fail.

Incorporating prediction of fire-generated clouds into fire management systems helps authorities anticipate sudden changes in fire intensity and spread. Targeted research incorporating satellite monitoring and advanced atmospheric modelling is now being used to better understand and detect conditions favourable for pyrocumulonimbus formation.

This knowledge allows for better warnings, resource allocation, and strategies to protect lives and property.

Bushfires are no longer just a local hazard — they can become atmospheric engines with global reach.

The Conversation

Jason Sharples receives funding from the NSW government and the Australian Research Council. He is affiliated with the NSW Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Centre and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures.

Andrew Dowdy receives funding from University of Melbourne, as well as supported by the Australian Research Council including as a member of the Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather.

Todd Lane receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is a Chief Investigator of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century.

Luke Burgess 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. When bushfires make their own weather – https://theconversation.com/when-bushfires-make-their-own-weather-273008

Pets suffer in extreme heat. An animal welfare expert explains how we can help them

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mia Cobb, Research Fellow, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne

Anna Tarazevich/Pexels

The multi-day heatwave conditions have arrived this summer, with temperatures soaring past 45°C in some regions. While we may head to shopping centres or cinemas to stay comfortable, we need to consider the heat impacts that other animals can face.

Pets, wildlife and livestock face heat stress, which can exacerbate existing health conditions and increase the risk of death if they get too hot. RSPCA Victoria received 20 reports of pets left in the dangerous heat without access to shelter or water before midday on Wednesday alone.

Heat poses real and significant challenges to animals, but you can help. Here are some useful tips on how to help animals cope when temperatures soar.

Why extreme heat hits our pets harder than us

When people get hot, we can strip off clothing and we sweat. As the moisture evaporates from your skin, you cool down. But animals such as cats and dogs can’t do this.

Dogs rely on panting to regulate their body temperature. Breathing rapidly with their mouth open helps moisture evaporate from their tongue and lining of their lungs, reducing heat. Although dogs do have sweat glands between their paw pads, these play a minimal role in cooling.

Cats are better at conserving water than cooling down quickly, a nod to their evolution from desert-dwelling ancestors. They lick themselves to spread saliva on their fur, which cools them when it evaporates. They also seek shade and reduce activity when it’s hot.

These cooling strategies can fail in extreme heat, especially if humidity is also high. Humid air reduces the effectiveness of evaporation, leaving our most popular animal companions vulnerable to heat stroke.

Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition when the body gets too far above normal temperatures and organs begin to shut down. The progression from heat stress to heat stroke can be rapid, and often fatal.

Some individual animal factors, such as having a short muzzle (think of breeds such as pugs, french bulldogs and Persian cats), being very young or old, overweight, or having a pre-existing health condition such as heart problems adds to the likelihood of pets suffering on hot days.

A grey and white cat licking itself.
Cats lick themselves to spread saliva on their fur, which cools them when it evaporates.
Wei Wu/Pexels

Less is best when the heat is on

You might think a quick walk at 30°C isn’t a risk. But for your dog, it could be dangerous.

A 2025 study from researchers at the University of Sydney showed the risk of dogs dying increased once the temperature was over 25°C, with a 10% higher likelihood of death on extreme (over 32°C) temperature days. Footpaths can retain heat even when shady, which can burn paw pads.

General guidance from a range of sources is to walk in the morning before temperatures rise, and avoid exercising your dogs outside once it’s over 28°C.

Instead of going for a walk, find cool, low activity ways to keep busy minds occupied.

An easy thing to do can be freezing some of your dog’s regular food into ice blocks (use old yoghurt or butter containers) and giving them these to lick.

Cooling down when things get hot

You’ve probably noticed your dog sprawled on the cool tiles rather than seeking out their cosy bed, or the cat drinking more water than usual.

While thinking “they’ll cool themselves naturally” is tempting, doing that can risk the lives of our precious pets.

Be aware that artificial surfaces (such as new decking and turf materials) may be hotter than their natural counterparts.

Cows and horses might seek out natural water bodies to wade in to cool down. Shallow wading pools with cool water in shady spots can be helpful options for animal companions too.

In a 2024 study, working dog researchers in the United States showed that teaching a dog to voluntarily dunk its head in water was one of the fastest ways to reduce their body temperature.

We can reduce the risk of heat stress by making sure animals have cool and shady places to choose from. Ideally, bringing them inside, away from direct sunlight, with plenty of fresh drinking water and access to fans or air conditioning is best.

The key is to offer them a range of choices and let them pick where they feel most comfortable.

Help ensure your pets are safe during this heatwave

As the global climate crisis continues to heat up, clear guidance on caring for our favourite pets – the dogs, cats, birds and fish – are likely to keep evolving.

Remember to include your pets in your fire evacuation plans, leave out water for wildlife, and never leave animals unattended in a vehicle on a warm day.

And always look out for warning signs of heat stress: excessive panting, drooling, lethargy, vomiting, collapse and bright red gums all signal heat stress indicating urgent veterinary attention is required.

If unsure, please reach out to your local veterinary team for further guidance.

The Conversation

Mia Cobb’s research at The University of Melbourne receives philanthropic funding from The Chaser Initiative. She chairs the Guide Dogs Victoria Dog Welfare and Ethics Committee and is a member of the joint Assistance Dogs International and International Guide Dogs Federation Dog Welfare Advisory Committee.

– ref. Pets suffer in extreme heat. An animal welfare expert explains how we can help them – https://theconversation.com/pets-suffer-in-extreme-heat-an-animal-welfare-expert-explains-how-we-can-help-them-273007

World mountain bike champ Samara Maxwell to take year off competitive sport

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Samara Maxwell celebrates after her 2025 title victory. Craig Cox

New Zealand world mountain bike champion Samara Maxwell is taking a year-long break from competitive sport to safeguard her wellbeing and longevity.

It means she won’t be defending her mountain bike world series cross country title after a breakthrough 2025 season.

Maxwell became the first New Zealander to win a UCI World Series title in October, which saw her named a finalist in the Halberg Sportswoman of the Year awards.

Her Decathlon Ford Racing Team has announced that the 24-year-old will take a sabbatical from competitive sport.

“After an intense 2025 season, and several months spent in Europe far from home and family, Samara Maxwell has decided to take a sabbatical break from competitive sport,” the Decathlon Ford Racing team announced on social media.

“The New Zealand athlete will dedicate 2026 to a period of rest, recovery and personal reconnection. During this sabbatical pause, she will step away from racing, media activities, social platforms, and public engagements. This choice will allow her to restore physical energy, regain mental balance, and spend meaningful time with the people and places that matter most to her.”

“This is the right moment for me to pause, breathe, and return to my roots. I want to spend time with my family, recharge, and prepare myself for the challenges ahead,” Maxwell said in the post.

The Ford Decathlon Racing Team said Maxwell’s long-term vision remains unchanged.

“…to return to competition with renewed determination and continue her journey toward representing New Zealand at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.”

The press release goes on to say that Maxwell’s decision has been fully supported by her Decathlon Ford team, personal coach, and the medical staff who have accompanied her throughout the season.

” ….As well as by Cycling New Zealand and High Performance Sport NZ, all of whom recognise this step as essential to safeguarding her well-being and long-term athletic longevity.”

Maxwell, who has openly battled with eating disorders since she was a teen, told RNZ last year that her mental health was tested when she clinched the mountain bike cross country title in Canada.

She admitted that the pressure she had been under in the weeks leading to the final round meant she didn’t manage her eating disorder very well.

“I’m really proud that I’m in a place where I can say I’m struggling and could call my coach and call my psychologist,” Maxwell told RNZ after winning the title.

The world title punctuated just how far Maxwell had come since she had to fight for selection to the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Cycling NZ declined to nominate Maxwell for Olympics for health, rather than performance reasons.

The national body determined she had not shown that she had no “physical or mental impairment” that would prevent her from performing to the highest possible standard at the Olympics.

The Sports Tribunal upheld Maxwell’s appeal over her non-nomination and took the rare step of nominating her directly to the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) for selection.

Maxwell went on to finish eighth in Paris – the best finish of her senior career.

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Adi Ashok excited to get India gig for Black Caps

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Adi Ashok bowls for the Black Caps against Bangladesh in the second one-day international at Saxton Oval, Nelson, 20 December. Photosport

Black Caps leg spinner Adi Ashok can’t wait for the excitement of cricket in India, the country of his birth.

Ashok, who played two ODIs and a T20 for New Zealand in 2023, is in the squad which has the first of three ODI matches against India in Vadodara on Sunday (9pm start NZT).

The 23-year-old was just 4-years-old when he left India when his parents decided to move to Auckland for jobs in the medical field.

Ashok has been back to India since but has not been to a big cricket match there and has been taking in what more seasoned team-mates have told him about their experiences.

“They talk about the bars and the atmosphere and how much the people love cricket and stuff like that.”

That’s something he has also gleaned from his father, Ashok, a cricket tragic.

“My father is an absolute nuffy, and his passion for cricket is insane. And, you know, he obviously lived here (in India) for so long… And I guess that’s part of where I learnt and got my desire for cricket as well, through my old man,” he said.

Ashok, who played for New Zealand in the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa in 2020, suffered a setback after making the Black Caps in 2023 when he needed surgery for a back injury the following year.

He needed 10 months off recuperating, but was back in the squad but didn’t play when Pakistan visited for an ODI series last March.

Last year the Aucklander gazumped fellow Indian-born spinners Ajaz Patel and Ish Sodhi in gaining a Black Caps central contract last June, though both of them have since played for the national side.

Now he is likely to get his chance to show his wares.

“It’s just going to be an exciting opportunity to come to the country that really celebrates cricket.”

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Australia underlines its Ashes dominance over England

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Source: Radio New Zealand

By Dean Bilton, ABC

Australia’s players celebrates with the Ashes trophy following their series win on day 5 of the fifth Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground, January 8, 2026 AAP / Photosport

Analysis: So 4-1 it is, a scoreline that does a proper job of reflecting Australia’s dominance in this Ashes series and spares no blushes in its appraisal of England.

Up for grabs in Sydney this week was control of the narrative. At 3-2, England would have been within its rights to claim a semblance of respect, and could have put the defeat down to a series of misfortunes, injustices and fine margins.

But 4-1 shuts the door on that. It puts this Australian team alongside its 2002/03 contemporary, which won convincingly by the same margin. 4-1 is a firm rebuttal of English rhetoric and a celebration of a number of Australian greats.

To England’s credit, it made Australia work for it here in Sydney. A run chase of 160 falls firmly in the category of ‘tricky’ and so it proved on day five, where the Aussie batters oozed a squirmy nervousness while the runs ticked down.

When Marnus Labuschagne was catastrophically run out with about 40-odd still needed, perhaps the English were within their rights to feel moderately hopeful. There is rarely a run chase choked away that doesn’t include a comedy run-out, so the Australian concern was not entirely misplaced.

Alex Carey was a fitting man to hit the winning runs, the personification of Australia’s professionalism and attention to detail throughout this series. With a blaze through the covers he finally put an end to any mystery surrounding the series.

Australia’s Cameron Green and teammate Alex Carey celebrate after hitting the winning runs on day five of the fifth Ashes Test. David Gray

For all that has come before and throughout, all that remains now is Australia four, England one.

So, what do we take from this series then? What will ping in the memory when the summer of 2025/26 is mentioned a decade from now? Who are the players and what are the moments that will survive the content dump and hold its own spot in Ashes history?

As good as player of the series Mitchell Starc was throughout – his performances in the first two games with everything still on the line were spectacular – it felt most tangibly like Travis Head’s summer.

It was the series in which he grew out of his cult hero status and fully became Australia’s best and most important batter. That he did it as an impromptu opener just adds to the legend.

One of the great sliding doors moments of the series was that Usman Khawaja back spasm on day two in Perth. Without it, he opens the batting in that second innings and Head’s masterful, paradigm-shifting knock never happens.

The entire series looks different without Head opening the batting for Australia. His runs in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney were match-winning, and his was the best of Australia’s resistance in Melbourne.

Head has not significantly changed his game for the role, but perhaps Test cricket has steadily bent itself into his preferred shape.

The tactical shift in Test batting most evident in this series was the move to make aggression a new form of pragmatism, and that suits Head down to the ground.

If the pitch has any demons at all, or the game state carries with it any sort of pressure or tension, the default is to counter-attack, come what may.

An agreement has been signed by all batters that seemingly allows them to do so fully free of responsibility or consequence, though word of that treaty has been slow in trickling out to the bemused public, who still confuses “putting pressure back on the bowler” for “throwing your wicket away recklessly”.

Such a philosophy has been at the heart of English cricket since the McCullum-Stokes joint was formed, but no player in this series mastered it as well as Head.

That is because Head batted with aggression and flair, sure, but also with a certain calculation, a knowledge of his own game and a total understanding of the conditions he was playing in. None of the English batters could say the same.

Contrasting captaincy styles

This series has also been an interesting survey in the role of leadership within a Test cricket team.

Australia has had to be fluid, losing regular captain Pat Cummins shortly before the first Test, getting him back for one game in the middle of the series that the stand-in captain then happened to miss, only to switch immediately back.

Injury also meant Australia had to dig deep into its bowling stocks, but still found success because each bowler operated to clear plans for each English batter and knew their individual roles in the side intimately.

It didn’t need a figurehead as such, as each player took ownership and accountability for his own job.

England by contrast, and the cult of personality it has fostered under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, lacked such purpose in times of stability and flexibility when changes were forced.

The captain and coach have built a team in their own image, brash and full-throttled but one-dimensional. Stokes has always been a leader by example, rather than a considered tactician, but at crucial junctures in the series his words and actions appeared to muddy the waters.

England’s Ben Stokes leaves the field with a strain on day four of the fifth Ashes cricket Test against Australia in Sydney, January 7, 2026. AFP

His defensive rearguard in Brisbane earned praise but must have confused the top-order players who had been dismissed batting in the exact opposite manner, the manner publicised to all and sundry for four years as “the way we play”.

After that game he insinuated some members of the squad were weak – “Australia is no country for weak men,” he said – an insinuation that must have stung Gus Atkinson and Ollie Pope when they were dropped before the third and fourth Tests.

Stokes also lost favour when he called critical former English players “has-beens” before the series, and McCullum raised eyebrows by suggesting that the team was “over-prepared” after two poor defeats in the opening matches.

England’s issues on this tour began at the very top, but all current indications suggest the repercussions will be felt further down. It remains to be seen if anybody involved with the English set-up has learned very much from this defeat at all.

Big differences in fielding prowess

Any other business? Snicko is not fit for purpose and requires swift ejecting into the sun. Fielding was a massive separator of the two sides. Alex Carey can be credited for making wicketkeeping cool again. Next summer’s MCG pitch is going to be made out of reinforced concrete.

It has been a silly old series in truth, but enjoyable nonetheless. Two flawed teams offered up entertainment in spades with the occasional moments of transcendent quality.

As ever, the cricket’s greatest gift has been its role as connective tissue through an Australian summer, a shared point of reference for a nation in what has been a difficult and fractured period.

The Ashes and Test cricket still mean plenty, and long may that continue. We certainly need it.

– ABC

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

Large fire engulfs building in Auckland’s Pakuranga

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Screenshot

A building in East Auckland’s Pakuranga is engulfed in flames with billowing thick black smoke.

A witness told RNZ the fire started at the Pita House on Cortina Place on Friday afternoon.

Firefighters said the blaze was threatening a second property.

Supplied / Karl Mirbach

The fire happened in the midst of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) strike. Members of the union had stopped work for an hour between 12pm and 1pm.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand deputy national commander Megan Stiffler said volunteer crews from Beachlands, Clevedon, Laingholm and Waitākere were at the scene along with senior officers, with further volunteer crews on the way.

RNZ / Karl Mirbach

“Due to the location, it took 30 minutes for the nearest volunteer crews to travel to the incident. The nearest career station is Mount Wellington, and they would have arrived on scene within seven minutes.”

Polic were also one scene and said the fire was reported just after 12pm.

More to come…

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Former Wellington mayoral hopeful Graham Bloxham arrested at Venezuela protest

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Wellington mayoral candidate Graham Bloxham is arrested by police. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Three people, including former Wellington mayoral hopeful Graham Bloxham, have been arrested at a Venezuela solidarity protest in Wellington.

Around 100 people are rallying against the US military action earlier this week outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Lambton Quay.

A small group of counter-protestors were also present.

RNZ / Mark Papalii

During the event Bloxham was seen scuffling with two protesters.

They were taken by officers into a police van and have been driven away.

Bloxham runs the Facebook page WellingtonLive and has faced controversy in the past after being arrested for failing to stop for police, and being told by the Employment Relations Authority to pay a former employee $30,000.

More to come…

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Weather live: Heat alerts for 38C for in parts of country, heavy rain and gales forecast elsewhere

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Temperatures are forecast to top 30 degrees in many places, and heat alerts have been issued for Hastings, Napier, Whakatāne, Motueka, Blenheim and Kaikōura.

Fire and Emergency warned extreme heat came with heightened fire risk – particularly in Canterbury, Marlborough, Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti and Northland.

Meteorologist Devlin Lynden said remnants from Australia’s heatwave had arrived.

RNZ / Mark Papalii

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Key to eradicating Queensland fruit fly is to ‘go hard and early’

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Queensland Fruit Fly. Supplied / Biosecurity New Zealand

Biosecurity is confident they will eradicate the obnoxious Queensland fruit fly with officers back out in force in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill today.

Biosecurity Commissioner Mike Ingliss said additional traps have been set, and control zones have been set up, restricting the movement of fresh fruit and vegetables out of the area.

“What our success in the past has been is that collaboration with the community. The community absolutely, in New Zealand, know the impact of what that pest can do so that everybody is chipping in to do what they can.”

He said the key has been to go hard early.

“We’ll take it day by day, we’re never complacent. The real thing here is to go hard and early.”

The pest, which damages a wide variety of fruit and vegetable crops overseas, was identified in one of Biosecurity New Zealand’s national surveillance traps, placed in fruit trees in residential backyards.

Inglis said bins will be out so residents can dispose of fruit and vegetable waste.

A controlled area surrounding where the fruit fly was found has been established and the area has been divided into two zones.

In Zone A, including 262 properties, no whole fresh fruit and vegetables, except for leafy vegetables and soil-free root vegetables, could be taken outside the zone.

In Zone B, including 8300 properties, fruit and vegetables grown in the area cannot be taken out of the zone.

Inglis said no other fruit flies have been found since the initial find on Wednesday.

He said the restrictions would likely be in place for at least one month.

“We know it’s a major commitment, and it’s an inconvenience for residents, so we really appreciate everyone getting involved. It’s essential to make sure we eradicate this pest.”

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PNG’s lethal Tsak Valley raid and deeper crisis over guns, policing, trust in Enga

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SPECIAL REPORT: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent

A Papua New Guinea police operation in Tsak Valley, Enga Province, in the early hours of Friday, 2 January 2026 — which resulted in five deaths — has prompted calls for an independent investigation following sharply differing accounts of events from police and community sources, as well as a growing rift in public opinion.

The operation, conducted by members of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary under an anti-terror policing framework, has been described as a success by police leadership, but has drawn strong criticism from some local leaders and clansmen.

Acting Police Commissioner Samson Kua said in a statement that security forces commenced operations shortly after 3am, “executing coordinated raids on two locations” in Tsak Valley.

The objective, he said, was to locate and apprehend suspects believed to be in possession of factory-made firearms linked to tribal fighting and criminal activity.

Various sources have indicated that Winis Kaki, one of the primary suspects and a prominent member of the Yambaran Warenge tribe, was armed during the raid when police shot him.

His wife, Margaret, a primary school teacher, was also killed.

The other victims have been identified as Nancy Kipongi, 60, a former ward councillor; Glendale Taso, 30; and Isaac Ipu, 27, who was reportedly shot near his food garden.

In its statement, police said officers attempting entry at the first location, identified as Winis Kaki’s residence, were met with gunfire from inside the dwelling.

One officer was wounded. “Police returned fire, killing the armed suspect,” the statement said. An M16 rifle and a loaded magazine were recovered.

Police also confirmed the arrest of Joseph Tati, a pastor and community leader. Police further said another armed individual was shot dead during the operation.

Officers recovered a second M16 rifle, a modified .38-calibre revolver, and ammunition for 5.56mm and 7.62mm weapons. Three additional suspects were arrested.

“This engagement, which lasted over an hour, demonstrates our resolve to disarm these groups despite the high risks involved,” Kua said, adding that intelligence indicated the seized rifles were being used as “hired guns” in tribal conflicts.

Bullet holes seen in a corrugated iron wall after the raid in Tsak Valley . . . five people were shot dead during the operation. Image: David Ericho/RNZ

Community accounts
 Community accounts allege the use of excessive lethal force during the operation, particularly in relation to the deaths of the two women. Videos recorded after the raid show multiple spent bullet casings near a hut where several of the victims were shot.

A Tsak Valley clansman, who did not want to be identified, said his cousin was among those killed and claimed that at least one of the young men who died was not armed at the time.

He acknowledged that firearms are widespread in the valley, often kept for what residents describe as protection.

“It’s no secret that there are a lot of guns in the hands of individuals in the valley,” he said.

“Many arm themselves for protection against their tribal enemies. It is also no secret that prominent members of the community are often expected to contribute resources, including weapons, to support their tribesmen.”

Police have not confirmed these claims.

Government reaction
 Over the last five years, the Papua New Guinea government has moved to strengthen its legal framework and policing response to escalating violence involving illegal firearms and large-scale tribal fighting.

Amendments to firearms legislation have significantly increased penalties for the unlawful possession, use and trafficking of guns, with some offences now carrying life imprisonment.

At the same time, new laws addressing what the government has described as domestic terrorism have expanded police powers to act against organised armed groups that pose a broader threat to public safety.

These changes have been accompanied by structural shifts within law enforcement, including the establishment of an anti-terror policing capability.

Prime Minister James Marape has publicly backed the Tsak Valley operation, warning against the continued use and possession of illegal firearms.

“The operation at Tsak Valley, Wapenamenda, was a targeted operation,” Marape said. “Police were acting on intelligence relating to known hired gunmen operating within the province”.

He reaffirmed the government’s zero-tolerance policy on illegal firearms and warned communities against harbouring gunmen.

Marape also said that where innocent people are affected during operations, the state — not individual police officers — would take responsibility, subject to proper investigation.

Local people collect bullet casings after the police raid. Video: RNZ correspondent

Public reaction
The operation has triggered mixed and sharply divided reactions across Enga Province.

Family members of those killed are preparing petitions to the national government, calling for an independent investigation into the conduct of the raid and accountability for what they describe as the deaths of innocent people.

At the same time, a considerable number of residents have expressed support for the police action, arguing it was necessary to curb the spread of illegal firearms and restore a sense of security.

The contrasting responses reflect a broader tension in Enga — deep grief and anger among affected families alongside growing public frustration with prolonged tribal violence and the increasing lethality of conflicts exacerbated by high-powered weapons.

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

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Popular Auckland hot springs gets name change

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The new sign for Kaipātiki Hot Springs. Supplied/Te Poari o Kaipātiki ki Kaipara

As 2025 ticked over into 2026, Parakai Springs near Helensville officially became Kaipātiki Hot Springs, the traditional name for the area which reflects the whakapapa of tangata whenua Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara.

The change comes as Te Poari o Kaipātiki ki Kaipara assumes management of the hot springs. The governors of Te Poari are appointed by Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara and Auckland Council in equal numbers.

Te Poari chairperson Mihi Blair said Kaipātiki literally translates to the abundance of pātiki, flounder, which the Kaipara area is quite famous for.

The area was prized by Ngāti Whātua tūpuna for its abundance of healing, thermal waters, she said.

“The wai was always used for recovery for all our wounded warriors during cold and warm days, and also the abundance across the wetlands and the swamps and tidal areas was always rich with kai, manu, eel tuna, and lots of kuharu and, you know pātiki, of course.”

Te Poari o Kaipātiki ki Kaipara Chairperson Mihi Blair. Supplied/Te Poari o Kaipātiki ki Kaipara

How Kaipātiki became Parakai

Blair said her whānau have a close history with Kaipātiki. In the early 1900s there was some confusion because there were two places called Kaipātiki in Auckland, one in Kaipara and one in Birkenhead, she said.

“So the mail used to get misdelivered quite a bit.”

“There was a community meeting held in the rohe of Kaipara and it was actually my great, great grandmother, Annie Emma Hamilton from Ngāti Maniapoto, who rightly got up and said, why don’t we just change Kaipara and switch it over and turn it to Parakai.

“So that decision itself has had a massive historical impact. It was a decision made on practicality, quite solutions focused she was, but it changed history. So from a whānau point of view, it’s something that we held dearly.”

It was a natural decision to return the name Kaipātiki to the area, she said.

“I was born and raised in the Kaipara area in Hellensville and so from Ngāti Whātua, there was no stories being told in our rohe, within our playgrounds, within our schools and that. So we’re really taking this kōrero really seriously for the Kaipara area and we want to ensure that we bring not only our own uri along, but we also want to bring the community along that journey.”

Blair said since 2011 when Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara and the Crown agreed to a settlement, the iwi has been focussed on sharing the history of the area.

The Parakai Recreation Reserve, which surrounds the springs, had already been renamed Kaipātiki Reserve so it was a natural decision to rename the springs at the conclussion of the previous lease on 31 December 2025, she said.

Blair thanked the previous lease holders Parakai Springs Limited for their contribution to the economic growth of the area over the past three decades.

Te Poari o Kaipātiki ki Kaipara will now assume management of the springs in partnership with Belgravia Leisure, who also work in partnership with Rotorua iwi Ngāti Whakaue running the Wai Ariki Hot Springs, she said.

“[Belgravia] will bring in their expertise and they’ve done a really amazing job of supporting and ensuring that all our kaimahi there have been onboarded successfully and that actually the pools have remained open over this busy summer period. We had a very high, high influx of those who attended in the new year. So, you know, whānau going there to use the pools, having BBQs. So the only difference that actually happened was the name change.”

Blair said Te Poari are looking forward to seeing what can be developed and making sure the community are well involved in the design and the future of the pools.

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‘A life really, really well lived’: Sir Bob Harvey remembers lifelong friend Sir Tim Shadbolt

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Sir Tim Shadbolt died on Thursday at the age of 78. Otago Daily Times / Stephen Jaquiery

A former mayor and lifelong friend of Sir Tim Shadbolt says the country has lost a superb New Zealander and “a giant of protest”.

The former mayor of Waitematā and Invercargill died Thursday morning.

Tributes flowed for Sir Tim after his long-time partner Asha Dutt confirmed the 78-year-old’s passing later that afternoon in a statement, on behalf of the family.

Sir Bob Harvey served as mayor of Waitākere City between 1992 and 2010, before the territory merged with the Auckland Council.

A lifelong friend of Sir Tim’s, the former mayor and advertising executive said New Zealand had lost “someone very special”.

“New Zealand has lost a giant of protest, political nous, humour, intelligence, smartness, and just a superb New Zealander,” he said.

“We’ve lost an icon of this country.”

Following a period of staunch activism in his younger years, Sir Tim would enter politics, serving as the mayor of Waitematā City from 1983 to 1989.

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

A true blue “westie”, Sir Tim shaped the reputation of Auckland’s western suburbs, Sir Bob said.

But it was his friend’s ability to zero in on the mood of the nation, including issues that troubled New Zealanders, which generated deep admiration.

“He understood instinctively the issues that moved us, that supported us, and often sometimes divided us. This was a very smart political man,” Sir Bob said.

Sir Tim first came to national prominence in the 1960s as a student activist on issues like the Vietnam War and apartheid.

He was seen as a key figure in the anti-Vietnam War movement during the late 60s and early 70s, a period where he was arrested 33 times, including once for using the word “bullshit”.

“We realised that there was a fog of war, and that was something that we should never be into, and I supported him totally,” Sir Bob said.

“I remember being put in paddy wagons with him when [US President] Lyndon Johnson was here. We were helping people bloodied by brutality and the rioting that went on around that.

“Him and I were brothers in protest and we celebrated the fact that we could do that.”

Sir Bob Harvey. New Zealand Herald, NZH-1100342.

Sir Tim’s eight terms as Invercargill mayor between 1993 and 1995, and again between 1998 and 2022, helped make him one of the country’s longest-serving mayors.

But during a turbulent final spell in office for Sir Tim, marred by questions over council performance and clashes with his elected members, Sir Bob appealed to his friend to call it a day.

“I came down, as a politician and a lifelong friend, to ask him not to stand again. He refused to believe things were not right,” he said.

“He didn’t take that well and I think that’s a real sadness for all his triumphs. He didn’t know when to leave the stage.”

Nobby Clark would ultimately claim the Invercargill mayoralty race in 2022.

However Sir Tim’s refusal to step away was also born of a deep affection for “life and politics”.

“Everything’s political and he spotted that, he understood that,” Sir Bob said.

“He was, without fear or favour, totally committed to this country. He was the voice of reason and the voice of sanity at a time when New Zealand was on some bumpy waters.

“It’s a life really, really well lived.”

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‘Bitterly disappointed’: Vandals damage Wellington memorial park

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Stolen letters from Pukeahu signage. Supplied

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage is “bitterly disappointed” after discovering vandalism at a memorial park in Wellington.

It said metal signage, including individual letter and full text phrases, have been removed from Pukeahu National War Memorial Park.

The signs had been a gift from France to New Zealand, representing the friendship forged between the two countries following World War One.

The ministry said the “forced removal” had created considerable damage at a place of remembrance.

Pou Mataaho o Te Hua deputy secretary of delivery and investment, Glenis Philip-Barbara, said: “Places like Pukeahu are sacred, they exist to honour the memory of those who served, and those who lost their lives protecting nations and people so that we might have an opportunity to live in peace.

Detail of damage to the French Memorial at Pukeahu. Supplied

“To steal from and vandalise such a place is unacceptable, we are bitterly disappointed that someone has gone to some effort to steal from the fallen.”

The ministry said the French Embassy was also condemning the act of vandalism, saying it undermined the memory of Kiwi soldiers who died in France.

“We thank New Zealand’s authorities for their investigations and the preparatory work that will lead to repair this important monument for our common heritage.”

The ministry said it was appealing for information about the vandalism.

“If you or anyone you know have any information you believe could be helpful to the police who are investigating this matter, or know of the location of the letters, please contact the Wellington Police – quote reference number O-2380388N.

Stolen letters from and damage to the French Memorial at Pukeahu. Supplied

“The Ministry believes these incidents happened between 24 December 2025 and 5 January 2026.”

Philip-Barbara said the ministry would keep stakeholders updates on the investigation.

“The ministry will start to consider the reparatory works to the memorial and signage, but we encourage anyone who can help locating the lettering to contact the police.”

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‘Lucky’ men praised for actions after jetski broke down, drifted off to sea

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Source: Radio New Zealand

File image. 123rf

Two men who needed rescuing after their jetski broke down are being praised for wearing lifejackets and carrying mobile phones.

In a statement, police said the pair were off the New Plymouth Airport coast on Wednesday afternoon when the jetski’s motor became damaged.

They were unable to restart the engine and started drifiting to sea.

The men immediately called police for help.

Search and Rescue Incident Controller Constable David Bentley said it was the right thing to do.

“The boys were lucky. They had two mobile phones with them and were wearing lifejackets – both of which made a significant difference in getting a good outcome,” Bentley said.

“Police are very happy they phoned for help early. It allowed us to activate our partner agencies straight away.”

Various rescue teams were called to help and discovered the jetski had drifted a “considerable distance”

“Once this was confirmed, Surf Life Saving assets were stood down due to the offshore conditions and distance, and Coastguard Taranaki volunteers continued the search,” Bentley said.

The jetski was ultimately located about two nautical miles off the Waitara rivermouth.

Both men were safe and well when reached – and the jetski was towed back to a nearby jetty.

Bentley said the incident was a good reminder to those on the water to take safety precautions.

“Had these boys not had phones, or had they not been wearing lifejackets, this incident could have ended very differently.”

He said even a small mechanical issue could lead to a potentially life threatening situation.

“We want all boaties – jetski riders included – to remember the basics,” he said.

“Take at least two reliable forms of communication. Always wear lifejackets. Check the marine weather forecast. And always let someone know where you’re going and when you plan to be back.”

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Get your finances sorted in 2026: Maximising your KiwiSaver

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Source: Radio New Zealand

It’s never too early to start thinking about your retirement savings. 123RF

Is organising your money life on your New Year’s resolution list in 2026? In this five-part series, money correspondent Susan Edmunds guides you through the basics. Catch up on the first four instalments here: Set a budget; save money; get rid of debt; sort your mortgage. Finally: Getting your KiwiSaver sorted.

KiwiSaver is an increasingly important part of many New Zealanders’ financial lives. We pull millions of dollars out of the scheme each year to buy first homes, as well as helping out in financial emergencies, and it is a big part of lots of people’s retirement planning.

But are you getting the most out of your KiwiSaver scheme?

The nature of long-term investment means that decisions that you make at the outset can have a big impact over time, so it’s important to get things set up well as early as possible.

Here’s a quick KiwiSaver 101.

Check your risk profile

A great first place to start is to think about your risk profile. This refers to your willingness to take risk with your investment.

Someone who needs to withdraw money in three months’ time to buy a house won’t have much appetite for risk at all, because they will need to know exactly how much money they have available.

But someone who is thinking about making a withdrawal in 40 years will have much more appetite for risk because they have many years to ride out any turbulence in the market.

There are online tools that can help you work through what your risk profile might be.

You might think: Why bother to take any risk at all?

In investing, risk can be a positive because it should boost your returns.

“The theory goes that the higher the return you are after, the more risk you are willing and will have to take. The more volatility you can accept in the short term, the greater the expected return in the long term,” said Dean Anderson, founder of Kernel KiwiSaver.

Choose your fund

Once you know what sort of risk you should be taking with your investment, you can choose the right KiwiSaver fund for you.

Most KiwiSaver funds can be described as either cash, conservative, balanced, growth or aggressive. You can find variations on this, and some providers offer single-asset funds that you can add to your portfolio, investing in things like property and cryptocurrency. Some providers also allow an element of DIY and stockpicking for individual investors.

If you can take more risk, a growth or aggressive fund is likely to be the best option for you.

“These funds typically offer higher returns over time, but with more volatility. Given your horizon, you can handle those fluctuations in value and expect to benefit as a result,” Anderson said.

“As an example, if you’re in your late 30s and already have your first home, opting for a high growth fund could allow compound returns to maximize your savings by the time you retire.”

But if you might buy a first home within three years, a conservative or cash fund might be better. Many people have had the experience in recent years of going to withdraw their money and finding the market had dropped at just that moment.

Cash and conservative funds focus on preserving your balance but generally deliver lower returns.

When it comes to adding in things like pure portfolio funds or investments in cryptocurrency, it could be a good idea to do this with some personalised advice.

“Cash has the lowest risk, therefore the lowest expected return. Of the four major asset classes (cash, bonds, property, shares), shares have the highest risk and the highest expected return. Share funds are lower risk than individual shares, and crypto assets, commodities and “private investments” are even higher risk,” Anderson said.

Choose your provider

You’ll also need to think about which provider is right for you. You can go with your bank, or another major fund manager, or one of the smaller providers.

In 2025 RNZ reported that more people have been moving from big bank providers to independent and boutique operators.

Fees vary, as do investment management styles. You might think a low-fee manager that tracks a market index is a good option, or you might be looking for a manager who can beat the market, or one who delivers a responsible investment strategy that aligns with your beliefs.

There are lots of options so it’s worth taking the time to find one that’s a good fit. Tools like the Sorted Smart Investor can be handy here. Mindful Money is a great platform for anyone wanting to check what their fund might be invested in.

Set your contributions

You’ll need to choose how much you want to contribute. If you’re an employee, you can choose to automatically contribute 3 percent, 4 percent, 6 percent, 8 percent or 10 percent of your gross salary. Your employer will match your contribution at 3 percent and some offer higher rates. Those default contribution rates are slowly increasing over time and could increase further if National is successful at the next election.

The right contribution for you will probably depend on your goals. A 10 percent contribution rate will boost your balance much faster. But the money is locked in until you buy a first home or turn 65.

If you’re a while away from doing either of those things, you might only contribute what your employer will match and invest the rest of what you have available somewhere else (provided you are sure you will actually so this).

The great thing about KiwiSaver is the money is taken for contributions before you see it, so there’s no temptation to do something else with it. If you’re building up other investments, you might want to apply the same policy to those and have the money taken automatically.

Some providers suggest working out how much of a lump sum you want at retirement, and then working backwards to determine what you need to save now to get there.

It can be really hard to think clearly about something that’s a long time in the future, though, so my advice if you’re still decades away from retirement is just to save and invest as much as you can while meeting other financial goals such as paying off a mortgage and enjoying your life.

Check annually

Don’t set and forget your KiwiSaver. Check on it every year to see whether it’s doing what you’d expect, given the market movements. Even if you’re not working for a while, try to contribute at least $1042 so you get the full Government contribution each year. It’s not as big as it was but it’s still worth having!

At retirement

When you get to 65, you can withdraw all the money in your KiwiSaver account. But you don’t have to. You might still have 30 years of living costs to fund, so you might choose to leave some or all of it invested and earning returns for a while. Personalised advice can help here too, to come up with a plan to draw down your money over time in a way that works for you.

The Society of Actuaries have some rules of thumb and Sorted also offers a tool to help.

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

Government u-turns on prescription co-payment fees

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ

In a policy u-turn, people will only need to pay a single $5 co-payment fee for the new 12-month prescriptions coming into effect from February.

The year-long prescriptions were announced as part of the 2025 Budget as a way to reduce the cost of seeing GPs.

Patients would still need to collect their medicines every three months, and at the time it was thought they would have to pay a $5 fee each time but that will no longer be case.

The backtrack is revealed in a series of Health Ministry documents proactively released three days before Christmas, titled “Cabinet material: Rescinding a prescription co-payment decision”.

They show the initial decision for repeat co-payments every three months was made in May, ahead of the 2025 Budget, “to mitigate the financial impact on Health New Zealand”.

However, the documents show a Cabinet committee on 17 September agreed with the minister’s recommendation to change course and only have the $5 fee apply at the first collection.

“The previous decision does not align with the policy intent to reduce costs to patients,” the Cabinet paper in Health Minister Simeon Brown’s name said.

“I consider that, to achieve this policy intent, the additional co-payment every three months needs to be removed.”

Health Minister Simeon Brown RNZ / Mark Papalii

The paper says the co-payment is a financial barrier, with about 191,000 adults in 2023/24 not filling a prescription because of the cost.

“After further consideration, I am seeking agreement to rescind the decision,” it says.

“This has the potential to reduce the cost to a patient by up to $15 over the course of a 12-month prescription.”

The committee noted this would mean extra yearly costs to Health NZ of between $6 million and $23m.

“For outyears, this is estimated to grow over the previous year by around 5 percent,” the minute of decision states.

Cabinet confirmed the decision on 22 September.

Other details under subheadings about how the decision would also reduce complexity for Health NZ and curb financial implications for both Health NZ and Pharmac were largely redacted.

The Cabinet paper shows Brown has instructed the Health Ministry to get the policy ready to take effect by 1 February.

Responding to questions from RNZ about the move, Brown said the decision supported the aim of removing financial and administrative barriers for New Zealanders and improving access to medicines.

“The removal of co-payments will also reduce the complexity of implementing the initiative, including changes required to external IT systems for prescribing and dispensing,” he said.

“The increased maximum prescription length will come into effect on 1 February 2026. Health New Zealand is working with the primary care and community pharmacy sectors to support implementation ahead of that date, with the Ministry of Health and Pharmac also supporting the rollout.”

He said the extended prescriptions would make a real difference for people managing long-term conditions like asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and high blood pressure.

Brown’s office also pointed to bullet points sent to reporters at the end of a media release in November celebrating the passage of the Medicines Amendment Bill.

“Patients will only be required to pay the $5 co-payment once when collecting their initial three-month supply. No further co-payments will be charged for the remaining repeats,” one said.

While that conflicted with earlier reports, no other comments made clear it was a change from the previous approach, and the bullet points were absent from the version released publicly on the Beehive website.

Pharmacy Guild chief executive Andrew Gaudin told RNZ the change was a great thing, ensuring more affordable access for patients to medicines, GPs, and community pharmacies.

He also welcomed a separate decision arrived at with the government last year, where Health NZ would “fully mitigate” a previously planned reduction in the fee it paid to pharmacists for dispensing services.

He said that meant “community pharmacy will not be adversely financially impacted for dispensing services under 12-month/extended scripts. So two very good things here”, he said.

In another change taking effect from 1 February, more pharmacists will be able to also be prescribers, although pharmacists are unlikely to be ready by then, according to a pharmacy group.

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

One dead after crash in Hawke’s Bay

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Source: Radio New Zealand

File pic RNZ/ Marika Khabazi

One person has died following a crash on State Highway 50, Korokipo Road in the Hastings District on Friday.

Police were called to the single vehicle crash southwest of Waiohiki at around 2:20am.

The road was closed while the Serious Crash Unit carried out a scene examination.

It has since reopened.

Enquiries into the crash are continuing, a police spokesperson said.

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

Hamnet: by centring Anne Hathaway, this sensuous film gives Shakespeare’s world new life

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roberta Garrett, Senior Lecturer in Literature and Cultural Studies, University of East London

For films and books about Shakespeare’s life, there is little source material to draw on beyond the few known facts of the great writer’s parentage, hometown, marriage, children, property and death. Shakespeare biopics therefore require considerable speculation and invention on the part of writers and directors.

Director Chloe Zhao’s earthy and sensuous film Hamnet is based on the book by Maggie O’ Farrell, who also co-wrote the screenplay. It not only foregrounds Shakespeare’s personal rather than professional life but does this by focusing chiefly on the experience of his previously maligned wife, Anne Hathaway (referred to as Agnes in the film).

From the 18th century to well into the 20th, Shakespeare biographers and researchers tended to represent Hathaway in highly negative terms. She was viewed as the “shrewish” wife that Shakespeare impregnated, was forced to marry and later escaped by fleeing Stratford for the exciting world of the London theatre.

This perception of Hathaway is grounded in sexist assumptions drawn from the few known facts of their marriage. Namely, that she was eight years his senior, he was only 18 when they wed, she was already pregnant and he spent many years of their marriage working in London.

The trailer for Hamnet.

The popular 1998 romantic comedy, Shakespeare in Love, reproduced the “shrewish” Hathaway narrative. She is absent from the film, but Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) dolefully comments on his sexless, loveless marriage and finds genuine passion instead with London-based heroine, Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow).

The more recent film, All Is True (2018) offers a different view. It depicts Hathaway and Shakespeare’s marriage in their twilight years, when the playwright has resettled in Stratford and is finally mourning the death of his son, Hamnet. Although Hathaway is central to the drama, she is depicted as an ageing and conformist provincial wife. Casting Judy Dench in the role alongside the much younger Kenneth Branagh as Shakespeare, also accentuated their age difference.

Hamnet’s Agnes

In sharp contrast, Hamnet’s Agnes (Jessie Buckley) is a young, robust and free-spirited woman who is associated with nature rather than dull domesticity.

Zhao and O’Farrell establish the themes of the film early on by opening with a scene of Agnes wandering in the richly toned mossy forest with her hawk. This view of Agnes draws on Shakespeare’s vision of the magical “green world”. But it also captures the atmosphere and skilled world-building of O’Farrell’s novel in which Agnes, like her long dead mother, is skilled and knowledgeable in turning herbs and flowers into remedies that are valued by the local community.

While many representations of Elizabethan life are centred on the largely male-dominated culture of politics and courtly life, Hamnet offers an account of the busy and productive life of an ordinary (if eccentric) Elizabethan wife and mother. Agnes is in charge of the labour-intensive life of the household. Her family home is situated in the centre of Stratford, boarded by a muddy, dirty, bustling thoroughfare. Women are shown as managing the core human processes of birth and death, birthing in an all-female environment and desperately struggling to keep their children alive in an age of precarious health and mortality.

As other critics have argued, the film’s climax – in which Hamlet is interpreted as the artistic expression of Shakespeare’s personal grief over the loss of his son – is one of the less convincing aspects of the film. Hamlet is essentially a revenge tragedy and Shakespeare’s plots were largely derived from classical and historical sources rather than personal experience.

Yet its heart-wrenching portrayal of Agnes’ anguish over her child’s untimely death is moving and persuasive, offsetting the modern misconception that as child mortality was higher, these experiences were less painful. The death of Hamnet is therefore recast as a tragedy for his mother, who birthed and raised him, rather than just the writer-genius, Shakespeare.

Hamnet’s representation of Agnes/Anne is, of course, almost entirely speculative. Only the wealthiest of women were literate at this time, so unlike her husband, Hathaway left no written traces. However, as Zhao and O’Farrell’s feminist film clearly illustrates, women’s lack of formal education and career opportunities did not mean that they contributed less to their communities – or that we should regard their lives as less meaningful.

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Roberta Garrett 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. Hamnet: by centring Anne Hathaway, this sensuous film gives Shakespeare’s world new life – https://theconversation.com/hamnet-by-centring-anne-hathaway-this-sensuous-film-gives-shakespeares-world-new-life-272969

Greenland is rich in natural resources – a geologist explains why

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Paul, Associate Professor in Earth Science, Royal Holloway, University of London

Greenland’s concentration of natural resource wealth is tied to its hugely varied geological history over the past 4 billion years. Jane Rix/Shutterstock

Greenland, the largest island on Earth, possesses some of the richest stores of natural resources anywhere in the world.

These include critical raw materials – resources such as lithium and rare earth elements (REEs) that are essential for green technologies, but whose production and sustainability are highly sensitive – plus other valuable minerals and metals, and a huge volume of hydrocarbons including oil and gas.

Three of Greenland’s REE-bearing deposits, deep under the ice, may be among the world’s largest by volume, holding great potential for the manufacture of batteries and electrical components essential to the global energy transition.

The scale of Greenland’s hydrocarbon potential and mineral wealth has stimulated extensive research by Denmark and the US into the commercial and environmental viability of new activities like mining. The US Geological Survey estimates that onshore northeast Greenland (including ice-covered areas) contains around 31 billion barrels of oil-equivalent in hydrocarbons – similar to the US’s entire volume of proven crude oil reserves.

But Greenland’s ice-free area, which is nearly double the size of the UK, forms less than a fifth of the island’s total surface area – raising the possibility that huge stores of unexplored natural resources are present beneath the ice.

Greenland’s concentration of natural resource wealth is tied to its hugely varied geological history over the past 4 billion years. Some of the oldest rocks on Earth can be found here, as well as truck-sized lumps of native (not meteorite-derived) iron. Diamond-bearing kimberlite “pipes” were discovered in the 1970s but have yet to be exploited, largely due to the logistical challenges of mining them.

Geologically speaking, it is highly unusual (and exciting for geologists like me) for one area to have experienced all three key ways that natural resources – from oil and gas to REEs and gems – are generated. These processes relate to episodes of mountain building, rifting (crustal relaxation and extension), and volcanic activity.

Greenland was shaped by many prolonged periods of mountain building. These compressive forces broke up its crust, allowing gold, gems such as rubies, and graphite to be deposited in the faults and fractures. Graphite is crucial for the production of lithium batteries but remains “underexplored”, according to the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, relative to major producers such as China and South Korea.

But the greatest proportion of Greenland’s natural resources originates from its periods of rifting – including, most recently, the formation of the Atlantic Ocean from the beginning of the Jurassic Period just over 200 million years ago.

Greenland’s major geologic provinces with rock types and ages.
Geophysical Research Letters, CC BY-NC-SA

Greenland’s onshore sedimentary basins such as the Jameson Land Basin appear to hold the greatest potential of oil and gas reserves, analogous to Norway’s hydrocarbon-rich continental shelf. However, prohibitively high costs have limited commercial exploration. There is also a growing body of research suggesting potentially extensive petroleum systems ringing the entirety of offshore Greenland.

Metals such as lead, copper, iron and zinc are also present in the onshore (mostly ice-free) sedimentary basins, and have been worked locally, on a small scale, since 1780.

Difficult-to-source rare earth elements

While not as intimately related to volcanic activity as nearby Iceland – which, uniquely, sits at the intersection of a mid-ocean ridge and a mantle plume – many of Greenland’s critical raw materials owe their existence to its volcanic history.

REEs such as niobium, tantalum and ytterbium have been discovered in igneous rock layers – similar to the discovery (and subsequent mining) of silver and zinc reserves in south-west England, which were deposited by warm hydrothermal waters circulating at the tip of large volcanic intrusions.

Critically among REEs, Greenland is also predicted to hold sufficient sub-ice reserves of dysprosium and neodymium to satisfy more than a quarter of predicted future global demand – a combined total of nearly 40 million tonnes.

These elements are increasingly seen as the most economically important yet difficult to source REEs because of their indispensable role in wind power, electric motors for clean road transport, and magnets in high-temperature settings like nuclear reactors.

The development of known deposits such as Kvanefield in southern Greenland – not to mention those not yet discovered in the island’s central rocky core – could easily affect the global REE market, owing to their relative global scarcity.

An unfortunate dilemma

The global energy transition came about due to increasing public recognition of the manifold threats of burning fossil fuels. But climate change has major implications for the availability of many of Greenland’s natural resources that are currently blanketed by kilometres of ice – and which are a key part of that energy transition.

An area the size of Albania has melted since 1995, and this trend is likely to accelerate unless global carbon emissions fall sharply in the near future.

Recent advances in survey techniques, such as the use of ground-penetrating radar, allow us to peer with increasing certainty beneath the ice. We are now able to obtain an accurate picture of bedrock topography below up to 2 km of ice cover, providing clues as to the potential mineral resources in Greenland’s subsurface.

However, progress is slow in prospecting under the ice – and sustainable extraction is likely to prove even harder.

Soon, an unfortunate dilemma may need to be addressed. Should Greenland’s increasingly available resource wealth be extracted with gusto, in order to sustain and enhance the energy transition? But doing so will add to the effects of climate change on Greenland and beyond, including despoiling much of its pristine landscape and contributing to rising sea levels that could swamp its coastal settlements.

Currently, all mining and resource extraction activities are heavily regulated by the government of Greenland through comprehensive legal frameworks dating from the 1970s. However, pressures to loosen these controls, and to grant new licences for exploration and exploitation, may increase amid the US’s strong interest in Greenland’s future.

Jonathan Paul 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. Greenland is rich in natural resources – a geologist explains why – https://theconversation.com/greenland-is-rich-in-natural-resources-a-geologist-explains-why-273022

Your dog’s dinner could be worse for the planet than your own – new research

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Harvey, PhD Researcher, Global Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Edinburgh; University of Exeter

Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

Cutting down the amount of meat we eat helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture. But what about the meat that our pet dogs eat?

Our new study shows that feeding dogs can have a larger negative effect on the environment than the food their owners eat. For a collie or English springer spaniel-sized dog (weighing 20kg), 40% of tested dog foods have a higher climate impact than a human vegan diet, and 10% exceed emissions from a high-meat human diet.

Dog food comprises a significant part of the global food system. We have calculated that producing ingredients for dog food contributes around 0.9-1.3% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, producing enough food for all dogs could create emissions equivalent to 59-99% of those from burning jet fuel in commercial aviation.

The type of animal product used to produce pet food really matters. The environmental footprint of dog food differs for prime cuts and offal or trimmings.

Cuts like chicken breast or beef mince are used in some dog foods but are also commonly eaten by people. Selling these “prime cuts” provides around 93-98% of the money from selling an animal carcass.

By-products like offal and trimmings – which are less sought after for human consumption, much cheaper, but highly nutritious – are widely used in pet food. We assign more of an animal’s environmental footprint to high-value cuts and less to these by-products.

Greenhouse gas emissions for different types of dog foods:

Some previous studies have given by-products the same environmental impact by weight as the highest‑value cuts, directly using figures calculated for human food. This “double counts” livestock impacts and substantially overestimates the footprint of pet food.

A practical problem for pet owners and researchers like us is that it’s difficult to find out which parts of the carcass are in a product. Our study used mathematical models to estimate the composition based on the ingredients list and nutritional composition of each food.



Read more:
Is your pooch better or worse off on a cereal-free diet?

Labelling guidelines allow broad terms such as “meat and animal derivatives”. These give manufacturers flexibility to change recipes but make it hard to distinguish between foods mainly based on low-value cuts and those rich in prime meat. Ingredients listed as chicken may be fresh, dehydrated (made from low value offcuts) or a mixture, and recipes are commercially sensitive.

For this reason, we adjusted our assumptions about nutrient content, environmental consequences of specific ingredients and the comparative values of meat products when estimating feed compositions. After repeating this process 1,000 times, one pattern was consistent: higher shares of prime meat drove up negative environmental effects.

Higher shares of prime meat in dog food drives negative environmental impacts.
Inna Vlasova/Shutterstock

Improved labelling – for example, indicating the proportion of prime meat v by‑products – would enable owners to make informed choices and allow better scrutiny of “sustainable” claims.

The format of pet food also matters. Some owners see raw and grain-free diets as more natural, although for many dogs these diets may offer no benefits and could introduce health risks, including nutritional imbalances and bacterial risks for dogs and their owners. Studies show that carefully formulated plant-based diets can meet dogs’ nutritional needs with similar health outcomes to meat containing diets, and there is increasing acceptance of this feeding approach from veterinary professionals.

On average, wet foods (for example, tinned or those packed in foil trays) and raw foods had more of a negative environmental effect than dry kibble. Grain-free options also have a greater environmental footprint than foods not marketed in this way. While the few plant-based diets we studied tend to be slightly less environmentally damaging than average meat-based ones, particularly among wet foods, this advantage is small compared to the difference between wet or raw and dry foods.



Read more:
Vegan diet has just 30% of the environmental impact of a high-meat diet, major study finds

There are exceptions. For example, the lowest impact wet foods we studied had lower emissions than the typical dry food. And, the foods with the absolute lowest negative environmental consequences we tested included meat by-products.

There are other protein sources being marketed as sustainable alternatives to feed dogs, the most widely marketed example being insects. We haven’t studied these in detail yet, but plan to in the future, while taking into account ongoing scientific debate about how large the real-world environmental benefits of insect production are.

Wet foods – and probably raw foods requiring refrigeration or freezing – tend to have greater greenhouse gas emissions from packaging and transportation. This further increases the chance that choosing these food types is less environmentally friendly.

Vegan v wolf diets

Pet food choices can provoke strong emotions. One of us (John Harvey), a veterinary surgeon working on environmental sustainability, regularly sees owners torn between ideals of dogs as meat‑eating “wolves” and their wish to reduce environmental harm.

Our study shows that it’s not simply a matter of choosing between vegan diets and raw meat. Simple rules like “dry always has a lower environmental footprint than wet” do not hold for every product. The ingredient mix within each product is key.

So, for owners looking to reduce the environmental footprint of their pet food, it’s important to know that choosing grain-free, wet or raw foods can result in higher negative environmental effects compared to standard dry kibble foods. Regardless of food type chosen, selecting foods that use genuine animal by‑products or plant proteins rather than competing directly with meat humans typically eat is also preferable.

Dog foods showed over 65 times more variation in the effect they have on the planet, compared to a 2.5-fold difference between vegan and high-meat human diets. The potential to reduce – or increase – environmental damage by changing dog diets is enormous. By choosing meat products wisely for pet food and making labelling clearer, we can cut this hidden part of our food footprint and have healthy, well-fed dogs.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 47,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

John Harvey receives funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sci­ences Research Council (BBSRC), grant number BB/T00875X/1.

Vera Eory, SRUC, is credited as a co-author of the study and she collaborated with us during writing this article.

Peter Alexander and Sarah Crowley do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Your dog’s dinner could be worse for the planet than your own – new research – https://theconversation.com/your-dogs-dinner-could-be-worse-for-the-planet-than-your-own-new-research-271865

200 passengers stranded on Bluebridge ferry overnight

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A broken ramp on the Bluebridge Connemara left hundreds of passengers stuck on the ferry overnight. Supplied

A problem with a Bluebridge ferry has left passengers stranded, with some spending the night bearthed in Wellington harbour.

The Connemara 8.30pm sailing from Wellington to Picton had to return to Wellington shortly after departure following the discovery of a fault with the ramp.

StraitNZ Bluebridge spokesperson Will Dady said crew were working with specialist crane operators to lower the ramp which was taking time, resulting in passengers and freight remaining on the vessel overnight.

Have you been caught up? Share your pictures and stories with us at: iwitness@rnz.co.nz

“We’re doing everything we can to make the 200 passengers onboard as comfortable as possible accommodating them in cabins as available and serving refreshments, but we acknowledge that it is a huge inconvenience for everyone.”

An RNZ reporter at the scene said the ramp was down by 10am, with vehicles due to come off shortly.

The Connemara also lost power during a sailing in September 2024 due to contaminated fuel, leaving it drifting for more than two hours and needing a rescue from tug boats.

He said Bluebridge apologised “unreservedly” to everyone affected and will work with each passenger to refund and reschedule.

RNZ / Bill Hickman

“We are also adding an additional sailing of the Livia this evening to accommodate these passengers,” he said.

Dady said the company was extremely disappointed to have experienced a mechanical issue during peak travel period and was working as quickly as possible to get up and running again.

“Unfortunately there is a flow on effect of having to cancel sailings at this time of year but we want our customers to know we are doing everything we can to get them across the Strait as soon as possible.”

RNZ has been contacted by one passenger Greg Brunton, who was due to catch the ferry from Picton today.

He said when trying to rebook this morning, he was unable to rebook sooner than next month.

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

Neighbour of Rotorua parolee facility speaks out as rehab programme faces next location battle

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Lauren Fraser at the gate to her property, with the Puwhakamua programme residence behind her. Rotorua Daily Post / Mathew Nash

A neighbour of a live-in parolee rehabilitation facility in Rotorua says she feels so unsafe in her generational family home that she avoids spending time there.

The Pūwhakamua programme, which supports paroled ex-prisoners reintegrating into the community, breached its agreement with the Department of Corrections “multiple” times last year and has struggled to find a future location.

Now it is heading for an Environment Court date with Rotorua Lakes Council over its current Owhata site.

Pūwhakamua is operated by the Tikanga Aroro Charitable Trust and has been based at the end of a bumpy dirt track off Te Ngae Rd since 2018 and under contract to Corrections since November 2022.

The council served the trust an abatement notice in March after an inspection found the facility was operating without necessary consent under the District Plan.

This notice was withdrawn after the trust said it met “papakāinga” provisions, which allow for up to 10 residential units in rural zones.

The council has since elevated the matter to the Environment Court.

Lauren Fraser’s property sits atop a short uphill track overlooking about a dozen prefabricated cabins that the programme uses to house offenders released on parole as they are supported to reintegrate into the community.

However, she is increasingly staying away from her home, which had been in her family for six generations.

She said she does not feel safe at the property and keeps her grandchildren away.

“It’s quite intimidating and I don’t want them around that,” Fraser said.

“I just need peace and quiet, but I don’t feel safe at all.”

She claimed she has been verbally abused and threatened by people associated with the programme, and that parolees littered her property with cigarette butts and beer bottles, despite being prohibited from using alcohol.

A plan to move Pūwhakamua to Waikite Valley was axed in September after pushback from local residents, the council and Corrections.

Fraser said while she understood the need for the programme, she believed the current location was also inappropriate as, despite being off a main road, it remained isolated.

“As a single woman, up here, it doesn’t feel very safe.”

Department of Corrections provides funding for the Puwhakamua programme. NZ Herald / Greg Bowker

Pūwhakamua is permitted to provide for up to 14 men at one time and currently has 10 on its books, with eight permitted to live on-site.

Corrections said there had been “multiple instances” where more than eight offenders were found to be residing at the site in 2025.

It said there have been no recorded breaches since May, after the trust was reminded of the “expectations” of their agreement.

Since November 2022, Corrections has provided the programme with $2.6 million and agreed to fund $800,000 annually until 2027, alongside a $2.7m conditional infrastructure grant in 2023.

Corrections deputy chief executive of communities, partnerships and pathways Sean Mason said staff visited the Pūwhakamua site fortnightly.

Mason said programme participants must comply with their parole conditions and follow the programme’s own no-alcohol policy.

The Pūwhakamua service was also monitored through bi-annual contract reviews, monthly regional meetings and quarterly governance meetings, Mason said.

While public safety remained the “top priority”, Mason said Corrections was committed to safe reintegration for parolees through suitable accommodation, which can help “reduce the risk” of reoffending.

The alternative of parolees “living on the streets or in cars” posed an “unacceptable safety risk”, he said.

Rotokawa Mana Whenua group leader and advocate Renee Kiriona. Rotorua Daily Post / Andrew Warner

Rotokawa Mana Whenua group leader and advocate Renee Kiriona said the system had failed Fraser.

“Corrections says it’s all about the safety of the community and the safety of the public, but they don’t care about Lauren,” Kiriona said.

“No woman from this land, whose family for generations have lived on this land, should be living in fear.”

Kiriona said she complained to Corrections last October.

A senior Corrections employee acknowledged her complaint and said it raised “several serious matters” that required time to “investigate and respond to fully”.

Kiriona also complained to the Independent Police Complaints Authority (IPCA) regarding what she called “police inaction”.

A police spokesperson could not provide comment about instances at a specific address, but Local Democracy Reporting understands the police were made aware of the IPCA complaint in November.

Puwhakamua founder Billy Macfarlane did not respond to questions posed via Tikanga Aroro Charitable Trust. Rotorua Daily Post / Andrew Warner

A spokesperson for Tikanga Aroro Charitable Trust said neither they nor Pūwhakamua founder, reformed former drug lord Billy Macfarlane, could comment as “most of the matters” were before the court.

A council spokesperson said an application had been lodged with the Environment Court to determine whether the programme’s activity is permitted or required resource consent for the Owhata site.

“We don’t have anything further to add at this time.”

Environment Court service manager Gemma Carlyon said the matter was set for “court-assisted mediation”, rather than a formal hearing.

Originally scheduled for the end of January, this had been pushed back due “to party unavailability”, with a new date yet to be finalised.

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

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

Search for missing tramper in Kahurangi National Park moved to ‘limited search phase’

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Graham Garnett, 66. Supplied / NZ Police

The search for a man missing in Kahurangi National Park is moving to a limited search phase, police say.

Police and other groups have been searching for Graham Garnett, 66, who failed to return from a hike on 30 December.

Police Search and Rescue’s Sergeant Jonny Evans said efforts on Thursday saw six teams out searching, along with a NZ Defence Force helicopter circling above.

One of those teams remained searching late into the evening.

Groups out searching for Graham Garnett. Supplied / Police

“Police will now consolidate the information gathered in recent days and analyse the search effort to date, and going forward,” Evans said.

“Police again thank everybody involved in search efforts so far, including members of Land Search and Rescue, Department of Conservation, New Zealand Defence Force, Rescue and Coordination Centre and commercial helicopter operators.”

Evans said police still wanted to hear from any one in the Baton/Ellis River area from 26 December – particularly those around the Flanagan’s Hut area.

Supplied / Police

“Any sightings of Graham or information to assist search efforts can be reported via 105, either over the phone or online at 105.police.govt.nz.

“Please quote the reference number P064981672.”

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

Fire destroys yachts at New South Wales marina

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Supplied / Fire and Rescue NSW

More than forty firefighters in New South Wales have been working to extinguish a number of yacht fires in a marina.

Fire and Rescue NSW said the incident was reported just before 3.30am (local time) on Friday.

It said four people were assessed by paramedics for smoke inhalation but did not need to be taken to hospital.

Police and the Port Authority were also at the scene.

According to Sydney Morning Herald, NSW Police said the fire started on one vessel before spreading and destroying another three.

It said four people were onboard the vessel where the fire originated from but managed to escape.

The Sydney Morning Herald said the fire was not currently being treated as suspicious.

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

Hotspots being checked after overnight scrub fire in Upper Hutt

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ/Marika Khabazi

Firefighters will return this morning to the scene of a scrub fire that scorched a hill overnight.

Crews were sent to Upper Hutt’s Wallaceville from eight different stations, some as far as Wellington City and Porirua, shortly after 11pm on Thursday.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said the blaze was difficult to tackle because of the rough terrain.

Firefighters left the scene at 3am, but rural crews will return about 8am to check for any remaining hotspots.

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

Deep 5.4 earthquake in Taranaki jolts lower North Island

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The official Geonet map showing reports of the quake on Friday.

A deep 5.4 earthquake has rattled the lower North Island.

The tremor, that struck about 8.30am on Friday, was centred 10km south-west of Waverley in Taranaki.

Geonet said it struck at a depth of 107km.

Within a few minutes, more than 13,000 people registered as feeling the shake.

Most described is as being weak, light or moderate.

More to come….

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

Can we use bees as a model of intelligent alien life to develop interstellar communication?

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlett Howard, Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University

Scarlett Howard

Humans have always been fascinated with space. We frequently question whether we are alone in the universe. If not, what does intelligent life look like? And how would aliens communicate?

The possibility of extraterrestrial life is grounded in scientific evidence. But the distances involved in travel between the stars are vast. If we do contact aliens, it would likely be via long distance communication, with our nearest neighbouring star being 4.4 light years away. Even being optimistic, it would likely take more than ten years for any round-trip communication.

How could that work when we have no shared language? Well, consider how we can engage with creatures here on Earth with minds quite alien to our own: bees.

Despite the vast differences in human and bee brains, both of us can do mathematics. As we argue in a new paper published in the journal Leonardo, our thought experiment lends weight to the idea that mathematics may form the basis for a “universal language,” which might one day be used to communicate between the stars.

Mathematics as the language of science

The idea of mathematics as universal is not new. Writing in the 17th century, Galileo Galilei described the universe as a grand book “written in the language of mathematics”.

Science fiction, too, has long explored the idea of mathematics as a universal language. In the 1985 novel and 1997 film Contact, extraterrestrials reach out to humans using a repeating sequence of prime numbers sent via radio signal.

In The Three-Body Problem, a novel by Liu Cixin adapted into a Netflix series, communication between aliens and humans to solve a mathematical problem occurs through a video game.

Mathematics also features in a 1998 novella by Ted Chiang called Story of Your Life, which was adapted into the 2016 film Arrival. It describes aliens with a non-linear experience of time and a correspondingly different formulation of mathematics.

Real scientific efforts at universal communication have also involved mathematics and numbers. The covers of the Golden Records, which accompanied the Voyager 1 and 2 space probes launched in 1977, are etched with mathematical and physical quantities to “communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials”.

The 1974 Arecibo radio message beamed out into space consisted of 1,679 zeros and ones, ordered to communicate the numbers one to ten and the atomic numbers of the elements that make up DNA. In 2022, researchers developed a binary language designed to introduce extraterrestrials to human mathematics, chemistry, and biology.

Circular gold-plated cover displaying symbols and diagrams.
This gold-aluminum cover was designed to protect the Voyager 1 and 2 ‘Sounds of Earth’ gold-plated records from micrometeorite bombardment, but also served a second purpose in providing the finder with a key to playing the record using binary arithmetic and numbers, as well as schematics to explain the process.
NASA/JPL

How do we test a universal language without aliens?

A creature with two antennae, six legs, and five eyes may sound like an alien, but it also describes a bee. (Science fiction has of course imagined “insectoid” aliens.)

The ancestors of bees and humans diverged over 600 million years ago, yet we both possess communication, sociality, and some mathematical ability. Since parting ways, both honeybees and humans have independently developed effective, but different, means of communication and cooperation within complex societies.

Humans have developed language. Honeybees evolved the waggle dance – which communicates the location of food sources including distance, direction, angle from the Sun, and quality of the resource.

Due to our vast evolutionary separation from bees, as well as the differences between our brain sizes and structures, bees could be considered an insectoid alien model that exists right here on Earth. At least for the purposes of our thought experiment.

Bees and mathematics

In a series of experiments between 2016 and 2024, we explored the ability of bees to learn mathematics. We worked with freely flying honeybees that chose to regularly visit and participate in our outdoor maths tests to receive sugar water.

During the tests, bees showed evidence of solving simple addition and subtraction, categorising quantities as odd or even, and ordering quantities of items, including an understanding of “zero”. Bees even demonstrated the ability to link symbols with numbers, in a simple version of how humans learn Arabic and Roman numerals.

A honeybee stands in front of coloured Arabic numerals including 2, 3, 2, 4.
Bees have demonstrated the ability to learn simple arithmetic and can perform other numerical feats.
Scarlett Howard

Despite the miniature brains of bees, they have demonstrated a rudimentary capacity to perform mathematics and learn to solve problems with quantities. Their mathematical ability involved learning to add and subtract one, which provides a launching pad to more abstract mathematics. The ability to add or subtract by one theoretically allows bees to represent all of the natural numbers.

If two species considered alien to each other – humans and honeybees – can perform mathematics, along with many other animals, then perhaps mathematics could form the basis of a universal language.

If there are extraterrestrial species, and they have sufficiently sophisticated brains, then our work suggests that they may have the capacity to do mathematics. A further question to be answered is whether different species will develop different approaches to mathematics, akin to dialects in language.

Such discoveries would also help to answer the question of whether mathematics is an entirely human construction, or if it is an a consequence of intelligence and thus, universal.

The Conversation

Scarlett Howard currently has funding from the Australian Research Council and the Hermon Slade Foundation.

Adrian Dyer receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the United States Air Force AOARD.

Andrew Greentree receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research and Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development, the Advanced
Strategic Capabilities Accelerator, Australian Defence Science and Universities Network (ADSUN), Australian Army, and the Australian Department of Industry Science and Resources.

– ref. Can we use bees as a model of intelligent alien life to develop interstellar communication? – https://theconversation.com/can-we-use-bees-as-a-model-of-intelligent-alien-life-to-develop-interstellar-communication-271524

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