CoveragePost
February 18, 2026
Democracy Now! In Gaza, a senior Hamas leader involved in the ceasefire negotiations has told Drop Site News that Hamas will not agree to demands that it unilaterally disarm. Basem Naim also said that Hamas would not submit to Israel’s demand for a total demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip. This comes amid reports that President ... <a title="Hamas refuses to follow US-Israel calls to unilaterally disarm in Gaza, says senior official" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/18/hamas-refuses-to-follow-us-israel-calls-to-unilaterally-disarm-in-gaza-says-senior-official/" aria-label="Read more about Hamas refuses to follow US-Israel calls to unilaterally disarm in Gaza, says senior official">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 18, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand Two new medicines for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia could be on the way, with Pharmac proposing to fund venetoclax with ibrutinib or with obinutuzumab. If accepted, the combination therapies could be available as first line treatments from 1 May 2026. Associate Health Minister David Seymour said CLL was not curable, ... <a title="Pharmac looks to fund two new medicines for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/18/pharmac-looks-to-fund-two-new-medicines-for-chronic-lymphocytic-leukaemia/" aria-label="Read more about Pharmac looks to fund two new medicines for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 18, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand Auckland Harbour Bridge. 123rf Imposing tolls on the existing Harbour Bridge won’t raise enough revenue to cover long-term costs of a new crossing, the editor of an advocacy website says. The Infrastructure Commission has suggested a toll as high as $9 to help pay for a second crossing. Greater Auckland editor ... <a title="Charging $9 toll wouldn’t cover cost of new Auckland harbour crossing, advocate says" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/18/charging-9-toll-wouldnt-cover-cost-of-new-auckland-harbour-crossing-advocate-says/" aria-label="Read more about Charging $9 toll wouldn’t cover cost of new Auckland harbour crossing, advocate says">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 18, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand Auckland Harbour Bridge. 123rf Imposing tolls on the existing Harbour Bridge won’t raise enough revenue to cover long-term costs of a new crossing, the editor of an advocacy website says. The Infrastructure Commission has suggested a toll as high as $9 to help pay for a second crossing. Greater Auckland editor ... <a title="Charging $9 toll wouldn’t cover cost of new harbour crossing, advocate says" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/18/charging-9-toll-wouldnt-cover-cost-of-new-harbour-crossing-advocate-says/" aria-label="Read more about Charging $9 toll wouldn’t cover cost of new harbour crossing, advocate says">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 18, 2026
Asia Pacific Report Several small Pacific countries regularly vote in support of Israel at the United Nations in spite of overwhelming opposition for the Zionist state in the Middle East over its genocide in Gaza. Why? In this AJ+ video short, senior presenter/producer Dena Takruri sets out to explain the Pacific backing for Tel Aviv, ... <a title="How Israel won the Pacific – and its backing at the UN" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/18/how-israel-won-the-pacific-and-its-backing-at-the-un/" aria-label="Read more about How Israel won the Pacific – and its backing at the UN">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 17, 2026
COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone US Empire managers have been making some surprisingly honest admissions in recent days, with Senator Lindsey Graham saying the wars of the future are being planned in Israel and Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling for a return to old-school Western colonialism. During a Monday press conference in Tel Aviv after ... <a title="Caitlin Johnstone: More shockingly honest confessions from the Empire managers" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/17/caitlin-johnstone-more-shockingly-honest-confessions-from-the-empire-managers/" aria-label="Read more about Caitlin Johnstone: More shockingly honest confessions from the Empire managers">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 17, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand The Minister moved a motion of urgency to introduce the bill. VNP / Phil Smith The government has introduced legislation so the welfare system can legally claw back payments when someone has been backpaid for an ACC claim. Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston moved a motion of urgency to ... <a title="Incoming law change so MSD can claw back welfare payments off ACC clients" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/17/incoming-law-change-so-msd-can-claw-back-welfare-payments-off-acc-clients/" aria-label="Read more about Incoming law change so MSD can claw back welfare payments off ACC clients">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 17, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand Tom Kitchin The government is seeking advice on whether to bring in a toll on the existing Auckland Harbour Bridge, to help pay for a second Waitematā Harbour crossing. The Infrastructure Commission has suggested a toll as high as $9, a figure the Transport Minister says would be a “big decision” ... <a title="Government considers Auckland Harbour Bridge toll to help pay for second crossing" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/17/government-considers-auckland-harbour-bridge-toll-to-help-pay-for-second-crossing/" aria-label="Read more about Government considers Auckland Harbour Bridge toll to help pay for second crossing">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 17, 2026
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese is again at the heart of a witch hunt over a speech she made at the Al Jazeera Forum last week that was “doctored” by the pro-Israel and anti-United Nations NGO UN Watch to claim falsely that she described Israel as the “common enemy”. Albanese responded — as shown by ... <a title="Eugene Doyle: Silencing Francesca Albanese – ‘Not in our name’ Gaza reflections" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/17/eugene-doyle-silencing-francesca-albanese-not-in-our-name-gaza-reflections/" aria-label="Read more about Eugene Doyle: Silencing Francesca Albanese – ‘Not in our name’ Gaza reflections">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 17, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Labour leader Chris Hipkins. RNZ / Marika Khabazi / Reece Baker Political parties are already squabbling over the extent to which either side will back a bipartisan approach to transport projects. The first ever National Infrastructure Plan lays out an independent roadmap for infrastructure investment in ... <a title="Political parties already squabbling over infrastructure plan" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/17/political-parties-already-squabbling-over-infrastructure-plan/" aria-label="Read more about Political parties already squabbling over infrastructure plan">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 17, 2026
RNZ Pacific The Indonesian government has dismissed a claim that its military has been bombing villages in West Papua. The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) claims a makeshift refugee camp in Puncak regency was bombed, and that many villagers have been displaced. ULMWP president Benny Wenda said the Air Force had “relentlessly attacked ... <a title="Confusion over West Papua bombing, displacement claims" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/17/confusion-over-west-papua-bombing-displacement-claims/" aria-label="Read more about Confusion over West Papua bombing, displacement claims">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 17, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop. RNZ / Nathan McKinnon The Infrastructure Commission has released the country’s first National Infrastructure Plan Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop requested the plan and is pushing for cross-party buy-in The plan sets out 16 recommendations, and 10 priorities for the next decade The country’s first National Infrastructure Plan ... <a title="New Zealand’s first national infrastructure plan unveiled" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/17/new-zealands-first-national-infrastructure-plan-unveiled/" aria-label="Read more about New Zealand’s first national infrastructure plan unveiled">Read more</a>
