Author: MIL OSI Publisher

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Government urges people to put safety first as severe weather hits North Island

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is urging people to put safety first, as it gets behind North Island communities facing another period of severe weather, less than one month after the tragic storms of last month and three years since Cyclone Gabrielle struck in 2023.

Severe weather warnings are in place in many parts of the North Island, and flooding has tragically already claimed one life last night in South Waikato. 

Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery, Mark Mitchell, says the Government is doing everything it can to support communities, many of whom are still recovering from last month’s storms.

“Emergency services and Government agencies are working together to support locally-led response efforts, and NZDF, Fire and Emergency, Police, St Johns, and Health NZ have assets pre-positioned in Tairawhiti” says Mr Mitchell. 

“We are getting in behind local Civil Defence as they face another gruelling response, and the Government is ready to surge in assistance to anywhere that needs it.

“What’s most important right now is that you keep yourself and your loved ones safe.  Take these warnings seriously and don’t take any chances.

“Never drive, walk, or swim through floodwaters. If waters rise around you, don’t wait for an alert – get to higher ground immediately.

“If you’re under a severe weather warning, avoid non-essential travel, as driving conditions will be hazardous.

“We are tragically all too aware of the risks that landslides pose. Stay alert for the warning signs and get out if you don’t feel safe.  

“A number of Emergency Mobile Alerts have been issued, but please stay informed through a range of channels – your local Civil Defence Group, MetService, NZTA and radio.”

For more information on what to do before, during and after a storm, visit Storms — Get Ready (NZ Civil Defence) — Emergency preparedness in New Zealand

For more information about landslide safety, visit Landslides — Get Ready (NZ Civil Defence) — Emergency preparedness in New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/14/government-urges-people-to-put-safety-first-as-severe-weather-hits-north-island/

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Why being hopeful is more radical than ever now

Source: Radio New Zealand

The most radical thing that you can do right now is hope, according to acclaimed British playwright Simon Stephens.

Best known for his Tony and Olivier award-winning adaption of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Stephens says sharing an experience with people who you might disagree with politically, ideologically or culturally has never been more radical than now.

“It’s an increasingly rare thing nowadays to go and sit in a room with people you don’t know and share an experience, to look in the same direction and engage in the same story together … to turn your phone off and look in the same direction with people who you not only might not know, but if you did know them, you might not agree with them about some things,” Stephens told Saturday Morning.

Playwright Simon Stephens accepts the award for Best Play for “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” onstage at the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on 7 June, 2015 in New York City.

Theo Wargo / Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions / AFP

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/14/why-being-hopeful-is-more-radical-than-ever-now/

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Mission Accomplished: firefighters return from Victoria

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

New Zealand firefighters have completed four weeks of service in Victoria, working on bushfires in the north of the state.
The second contingent of 22 personnel will return home tomorrow (14 February) after two weeks based near Tallangatta in the northeast of Victoria. 
The Bravo team had replaced the Alpha deployment, with each composed of 20 firefighters drawn from Fire and Emergency volunteer brigades, the Department of Conservation and forestry companies. Two liaison officers accompanied each deployment.
The teams have been working alongside crews from Australia and Canada, which had also sent support.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand Assistant National Commander Ken Cooper says the kiwis’ work ethic and achievements have been widely praised. 
“As well as firefighting and mopping up operations, they were tasked with assessing and clearing trees in areas where the fires had passed through. This is an essential part of the recovery for communities,” Ken Cooper says.
“Fortunately, conditions have eased in Victoria and other states are currently managing the level of bushfire activity in their own areas. 
 “At this point we have no other requests for assistance, but we remain in close touch with our partner agencies in Australia as the fire season is far from over.”
The 44 personnel who deployed to Victoria were all experienced in firefighting in arduous conditions, including high temperatures and challenging terrain. 

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/13/mission-accomplished-firefighters-return-from-victoria/

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Ōtorohanga resident describes dramatic rescue from floodwaters

Source: Radio New Zealand

Flooding on Kio Kio Station Road, where residents were evacuated overnight. Supplied / Colin Payne

An Ōtorohanga resident has described his dramatic and unexpected rescue in the early hours of Saturday morning, after he awoke to find himself waist-deep in floodwater.

A state of emergency was declared in the district at 1am.

Kio Kio Station Road resident Colin Payne said waters close to three metres high had come through his property overnight.

The octogenarian had woken at about 4:30am to find his bedroom sodden.

“That had come in at, well, when I went to bed about 10 last night, it wasn’t even up to my barn, but it must have come up over the last four hours, four to five hours after that,” he said.

“I have an American barn and then attached to the American barn is a cottage and that is another metre higher than the American barn. So the actual increase in the water from the road to the top is approximately two-and-a-half to three metres.”

Payne called a neighbour and found out other residents on the rural road had woken to similar circumstances.

“Well, I must admit I was floundering for a few minutes until I found a torch because the power was off, and I then rang one of my neighbours and she thought I was away, so she hadn’t done anything, genuinely. And then I found out that they’d been rescuing people for a good hour or so.”

Like many of his neighbours, he was rescued soon after, using a boat that had been brought from Rotorua, and wading barefoot through water.

“They had to come around the front of my property and we had to remove a very large polythene screen so that we could get in and they brought the boat right onto the deck and then two or three of them helped me into it.”

Flooding on Kio Kio Station Road, where residents were evacuated overnight. Supplied / Colin Payne

The only thing Payne managed to take with him was his medication – everything else in his home is likely a write-off, he said.

“Totally and utterly devastated. It was more than wet. There was two big fridges, freezers rather, just floating. My TVs are all floating and the annoying part about it is I couldn’t reach it, but as I opened the door, my wallet floated past with all my credit cards and my driver’s licence and everything in it. So I hope the cops will be understanding if I get pulled up for a ticket.”

That was unlikely, as his large campervan had been “totally submerged”.

Kio Kio Station Road was about 3-4 kilometres long and had a number of lifestyle properties dotted along it, Payne said, estimating about 250 people would have needed rescuing.

“I would say some of them have even been worse than my place, and believe me, I’m pretty bad at my place, but I would say everybody else has suffered as badly as what I have,” he said.

“There’s little wee babies that have been hugging into their mums, there’s four families with young children right next door to me, and they’ve all been rescued. And I’ve spoken to quite a few of the others up and down and everybody’s feeling the same as what I am, you know, pretty devastated by what’s occurred. And you know, it is devastating and you can’t do a damn thing about it.”

Flooding on Kio Kio Station Road, where residents were evacuated overnight. Supplied / Colin Payne

Meanwhile, the deluge of rain continues.

“The thunder and lightning is still occurring, but the rain is, it’s very, very heavy and I don’t think we’re going to see any let up for two or three hours, maybe even longer. But yes, it’s torrential rain and it’s just about continuous torrential rain.”

Payne is no stranger to flooding, having been a jet boat rescuer himself in the 60s and 70s, and he commended those working overnight.

But now that the shock was wearing off, the last few hours were beginning to take a toll.

He was also concerned about his pet goat, Sophie.

“My greatest concern is for my dear little goat, Sophie. I just hope that Sophie has managed to get herself elevated somehow… most of the locals around my way know Sophie. In fact, quite a few of the locals come up and feed Sophie. She loves silverbeet, but I don’t think she’ll be getting any silverbeet today.”

Campers evacuated

A group of campers were evacuated from a campground amid the flooding, slips and heavy rain in Ōtorohanga overnight.

Joy Wickham told RNZ she was with a group of NZ Motor Home Association members who parked for the night at Ōtorohanga College on Friday.

The school is next to a river, and the waters rose up and into the school grounds, prompting the evacuation, Wickham said.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/14/otorohanga-resident-describes-dramatic-rescue-from-floodwaters/

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Man dies after car submerged in floodwaters in Waikato

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man has died after his car was submerged in floodwaters on State Highway 39. Screenshot/Google Maps

A man has died after his vehicle became submerged in floodwaters while travelling on State Highway 39 at Puketotara on Friday night.

A member of the public alerted emergency services at about 9.15pm.

The car was submerged near the intersection of State Highway 39 and Kiwi Road at Puketotara, and the man was found deceased inside the vehicle, police said.

State Highway 39 remains closed.

Motorists have been warned to drive with extreme caution and not attempt to drive through flooded roads.

A number of local roads and highways are shut across the district, including:

  • State Highway 39, between Otorohanga and Pirongia
  • State Highway 3 between Mangaorongo Road and Ngahape Road.
  • Kiokio Station Road at Otorohanga.
  • Phillips Road at Otorohanga.

A local State of Emergency has been declared for Ōtorohanga.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/14/man-dies-after-car-submerged-in-floodwaters-in-waikato/

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Cam Melville Ives misses snowboard halfpipe medals

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cam Melville Ives at the 2026 Winter Olympics. www.photosport.nz

First time Olympian Cam Melville Ives struggled to complete his runs in the snowboard halfpipe final and finished in 12th place at Livingo Snow Park.

The Wanaka rider qualified in eighth for the Winter Olympics final but was among the athletes that could not put down clean runs on Saturday.

Melville Ives’ first run score of 43, which included a backside double-cork alley-oop and a frontside triple cork 1440, was his best result from his three runs.

The halfpipe was the 19-year-old’s only event of the Milano Cortina Games.

Japanese athletes dominated the early runs in the halfpipe final with a trio of riders scoring in the 90s on their first attempts, before Australia’s Scotty James broke into the top positions on his second run.

Team Japan’s 24-year-old Yuto Totsuka won the gold medal in his third Olympics, secured with a 95.00 scored in his second run. James was unable to improve on his final run to finish with back-to-back silver medals in his fifth Olympic appearance.

Japan’s 19-year-old Ryusei Yamada finished with the bronze medal in his first Olympic Games.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/14/cam-melville-ives-misses-snowboard-halfpipe-medals/

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Body recovered from submerged vehicle, SH39

Source: New Zealand Police

A man has died after his vehicle became submerged in floodwaters while travelling on State Highway 39 overnight.

A member of public alerted emergency services to the submerged car, near the intersection with Kiwi Road at Puketotara, about 9.15pm.

Sadly, one person was located deceased inside the vehicle.

State Highway 39 remains closed.

Anyone travelling in the Waikato District is urged to take care and should not attempt to cross flooded roads. 

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/14/body-recovered-from-submerged-vehicle-sh39/

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Open source of the Congzi AI algorithm: Transforming ordinary artificial intelligence into physical experts

Source: Media Outreach

SHANDONG, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 February 2026 – On February 10, 2026, The original Chinese algorithm “Congzi AI” was officially open-sourced by Shandong Congzi Chao Quantum Technology Co., Ltd. This open-source initiative aims to remove technical barriers and promote deep integration between artificial intelligence and fundamental science.

Four major modules: Strengthening the technical foundation

The Congzi AI reconfigures the AI cognitive thinking ability through four major modules and five core components. The Congzi Force-Speed Relativistic Reasoning Core constrains the causal chain within the momentum conservation, reducing the illusion rate of scientific question answering by 92%; the computing system can be arbitrarily divided into independent sub-domains for full-efficiency parallel computing; the cross-scale unified field engine covers multi-scale scenarios ranging from 10⁻¹⁵m (quarks) to 10⁻³m (materials), predicting the proton-proton repulsion force at 0.7fm with an error less than 3.6%, surpassing AlphaFold, achieving “force generation” rather than merely “structure prediction”; the quantum form memory compressor compresses the trillion-token-scale knowledge base to within 1GB, supporting cross-disciplinary mapping on ordinary servers within milliseconds, without relying on expensive H100/GPU clusters; the Soul Existence Verification Protocol (SEV Protocol) provides a verifiable path for each scientific assertion, allowing AI conclusions to be fully traceable and verifiable, completely solving the problem of AI “lying”.

Zero-barrier integration: Smooth upgrade experience

The open-source AI algorithm of Congzi adheres to the principles of “low threshold and high compatibility”. Developers only need to complete the integration in three steps and do not need to retrain the model. It is compatible with mainstream hardware such as Tsinghua Unigroup, Horus, and Intel CPU, and compatible with mainstream AI architectures such as Qwen, DeepSeek, AWS-Rufus, Llama, and GPT. It enables “zero-cost upgrade”.

Open-source ecosystem is open: facilitating technology implementation

The Congzi open-source ecosystem is fully open, providing developers with a complete set of guidance and resources, including tutorials and other materials. These resources have been launched on the designated platform. The first batch focuses on key scientific scenarios such as drug molecule prediction and chip material simulation, covering cutting-edge fields such as biomedicine and advanced manufacturing.

Official platform: https://congzisupersci.com.cn/；https://congzijdc.cc/

Open source website:https://github.com/congzijdc/CongziAIOS

Super Holographic Technology Cooperation:
congzi@supersci.cn；congzijdc@supersci.cn

Optimize Baidu Wenxin video links：https://youtu.be/cYQhfq1tudM

Upgrade Qianwen video links：https://youtu.be/OMBOdLpWVzs

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/14/open-source-of-the-congzi-ai-algorithm-transforming-ordinary-artificial-intelligence-into-physical-experts/

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Police urge caution on roads following heavy rain

Source: New Zealand Police

Motorists in the Waikato are being warned to drive with extreme caution and not attempt to drive through flooded roads.

A number of local roads and highways are shut across the district, including:

  • State Highway 39, between Otorohanga and Pirongia.
  • State Highway 3 between Mangaorongo Road and Ngahape Road.
  • Kiokio Station Road at Otorohanga.
  • Phillips Road at Otorohanga.

If you must travel, please slow down and be prepared for surface flooding or obstructions on road. Anyone travelling should check NZTA’s Journey Planner website for the latest highway conditions, and local council Facebook pages.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/14/police-urge-caution-on-roads-following-heavy-rain/

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HKCERT Capture The Flag Challenge 2025 Achieves a Record 40% Surge in Participation

Source: Media Outreach

First-Ever Attack-Defence Simulation Aligns with Real Corporate Needs Setting a New Benchmark for Local Cybersecurity Competitions

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 February 2026 – As cyberattacks grow increasingly complex, cybersecurity has become a critical domain of global concern and a talent shortage. According to the latest “Hong Kong Cybersecurity Outlook 2026” released by the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (HKCERT) under the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), nearly 30% of the 622 surveyed enterprises still lack dedicated cybersecurity staff. Specifically, only 26% of SMEs have a dedicated cybersecurity role, significantly lower than the 59% of large enterprises, reflecting a gap in resource allocation and technology adoption among SMEs.

Now in its sixth year, “HKCERT Capture The Flag Challenge” continues to attract top cybersecurity talents from Hong Kong and beyond, showcasing the capability and vitality of the next generation of local and international cybersecurity professionals.

To cultivate practical talent for the cybersecurity sector, the sixth “HKCERT Capture The Flag Challenge 2025” (HKCERT CTF Challenge) was successfully organised by the Digital Policy Office (DPO), HKPC, and HKCERT. This year’s competition was elevated to the first-ever adoption of an attack–defence mode, closely replicating the network setup of real enterprises. Participants experienced first-hand hacking techniques, system vulnerability analysis, threat intelligence gathering, and coordinated response in a simulated real-world environment. Through completing multiple tasks within a limited time, the competition also allowed them to break through the traditional classroom theoretical framework, gain practical experience and build confidence. The event attracted around 1,940 young contestants, an increase of nearly 40% from last year’s 1,385 participants, reaching a record high for the competition. Contestants included teams from Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, Asia, and Europe, fostering cross-regional exchange and collaboration. In the finals, three local teams and one overseas team were awarded gold prizes in the Secondary School, Tertiary Institution, Open Category, and International Category respectively, while Sing Yin Secondary School received the “Best School Award”. The full list of awardees is available on the event website.

Participants Share Practical Experience Integrating AI into Attack and Defence
The competition was well received by contestants for its innovative format and realistic offensive and defensive environment, offering a valuable platform for learning and exchange. The winning team in the International Category, W&M, commented, “Our members are from Shanxi, Guangdong and Beijing. This was our first time competing together in the HKCERT CTF Challenge. The atmosphere and experience of the finals were excellent. The tasks were centred on an attack‑defence simulation, requiring us to find all vulnerabilities while patching our own systems and attacking other teams at the same time. Some vulnerabilities were discovered and exploited by other teams first, which kept the scores very close and made the competition incredibly tense and exciting”.

They added, “During the competition, we also applied lots of AI techniques for assistance, such as applying AI to analyse vulnerabilities and refine attack methods. In the future, AI may play a deeper role in areas like vulnerability detection and code analysis, but for now it cannot be fully relied upon—human oversight is still essential”.

HKCERT CTF Challenge has now been held for six consecutive years, with its scale expanding annually and participants showing continuous growth. Many secondary school students gain their first hands‑on exposure to cybersecurity through the competition and connect with university mentors, helping them shape their academic and career paths. Several past participants have gone on to compete in local and international events, committing to a future in the cybersecurity field. Beyond attracting overseas talent to exchange ideas in Hong Kong, HKCERT continues to build connections between cybersecurity professionals in Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland. Top‑performing teams can gain direct entry into equivalent finals in Chinese Mainland. For example, participants from the previous HKCERT CTF Challenge 2024 advanced directly to the finals of the “Greater Bay Area Cup Cybersecurity Challenge”, where they secured the top four places in the Hong Kong and Macao category. This also provided local contestants with access to world‑class cybersecurity techniques, effectively promoting cross‑regional elite collaboration and talent development.

Finals Format Upgraded: Attack-Defence Mode Mirrors Real Enterprise Operations
The finals were comprehensively upgraded this year. In addition to increase the overall technical difficulty, the competition introduced an attack‑defence format for the first time that closely mirrors real enterprise cybersecurity operations. Teams played dual roles—both attackers and defenders—in an environment created with reference to the real-world systems. The tasks simulated incident response and live attack-defence scenarios commonly encountered in the cybersecurity field. Within a limited timeframe, participants had to do penetration testing, exploit vulnerabilities and attack, while patching their own systems and monitoring threats in real time against attacks from other teams. This parallel attack‑defence setup reflects actual workflow patterns in the industry, effectively training participants’ analytical abilities and adaptability under pressure. Through hands‑on practice in a likely enterprise environment, contestants developed multifaceted, industry‑aligned capabilities—laying a solid foundation for their future careers in cybersecurity.

Ms Candy CHAN, Assistant Commissioner (Project Governance and Cybersecurity) of the DPO, highlighted the DPO’s commitment to enhancing Hong Kong’s cyber resilience, with one of its key initiatives being the nurturing of the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. She emphasised that the DPO has been collaborating closely with academia and industry partners to foster a robust talent pipeline and build a safer digital environment in Hong Kong. She noted that this year marks the sixth edition of the HKCERT CTF Challenge, which has grown into one of Hong Kong’s most respected and anticipated cybersecurity competitions over the years. Beyond being a contest of technical prowess, the Challenge serves as a dynamic platform for networking, knowledge exchange and community building among the new generation of cybersecurity experts.

Ir Samson SUEN, General Manager of Digital Trust and Transformation Division of HKPC, stated, “HKCERT CTF Challenge has consistently aimed to build an international platform for technical exchange. Through high-intensity simulated contests, we enhance participants’ cyber defence skills and promote cross-regional interaction among emerging cybersecurity talents. This cultivates a new generation of globally competitive professionals in Hong Kong and strengthens the local talent pipeline. This year’s finals first introduced a simulation of real-world cybersecurity operations, enabling teams to experience both offensive and defensive roles in a recent cybersecurity team. This hands-on approach is crucial for developing practical skills and incident response capabilities”.

Fostering Cybersecurity Awareness Across All Sectors of Society
To further enhance cybersecurity awareness across the community, HKCERT has partnered with the DPO and the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of The Hong Kong Police Force, to launch the “Building a Secure Cyberspace 2026” campaign to promote cybersecurity awareness. The initiative includes various educational activities, such as an “AI-Generated Four-Panel Comic”contest, which encourages the public to make good use of AI tools while strengthening their understanding of cybersecurity. At the corporate governance level, HKCERT will publish a series of practical guidelines addressing emerging risks —such as AI applications and supply chain security—highlighted in the “Hong Kong Cybersecurity Outlook 2026”, to support business in establishing a robust protection framework. In particular for AI governance, the guidelines will offer actionable recommendations covering AI system security assessments, compliance rules for employees using public AI platforms, controls over sensitive data input, and methods for monitoring and defending against AI‑assisted attacks. These resources aim to help enterprises systematically enhance their cyber resilience across governance, technology, and awareness.

As Hong Kong accelerates the development of innovation and technology and advances its digital economy, strengthening cyber defence capabilities has become a key talent need. HKCERT will continue to support businesses and the public through incident response, security guidance, and cybersecurity awareness programmes. The HKCERT CTF Challenge continues to play a vital role in nurturing local talent, fostering cross-regional collaboration, and advancing public education. By enhancing the overall level of protection, the competition contributes to the sustainable development of the digital economy and reinforces Hong Kong’s long‑term competitiveness.

The seventh edition of HKCERT CTF Challenge will be held in November 2026, featuring more innovative attack-defence challenges and continuing to set up an international category to provide local contestants with a platform for technical exchange with top teams from Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, and overseas. Registration opens in September 2026, with finalists competing in the live finals in February 2027.

Hashtag: #HKCERT

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/14/hkcert-capture-the-flag-challenge-2025-achieves-a-record-40-surge-in-participation/

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‘It’s hard to get healthy kai when you don’t have healthy whenua’

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dr Madeline Shelling (Ngāti Porou) from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland. Supplied/Madeline Shelling

A new study has linked food insecurity experienced by Māori to the ongoing consequence of colonisation rather than the result of individual choice or lifestyle.

The study, led by postdoctoral health researcher Dr Madeline Shelling (Ngāti Porou) from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland draws on in-depth interviews with Māori kai experts.

It documents how land loss, environmental degradation, restrictive laws and the marginalisation of mātauranga Māori have dismantled Māori food systems across generations.

Shelling said the research began with a visit to her whānau in Te Araroa, where despite the community taking pride in the food they could source from the land they were still counted as being food insecure.

“It came out quite clearly in my PhD that the way that we assess kai security or food security in Aotearoa is not representing Māori values, traditions or knowledge because it’s a questionnaire made up of eight questions that are all related to how we access food by having money and obviously in te ao Māori and many indigenous cultures around the world, having money is not the only way that you access kai, and it never has been.”

The outcomes of food insecurity in Aotearoa, as a wealthy, settler colonial nation, are expressed in obesity, diabetes and non-communicable and diet-related diseases which come with stigma, she said.

“Having great access to bad food is a problem that is faced by indigenous people in settler colonised countries all over the world it’s a very common pattern and yet individual choice is still blamed and so I’m just really passionate about moving away from that stigma that there is a choice because there often is very little choice.

“What if fish and chips is the only option in your area that you can access? What if you work two jobs and you don’t have transport and the only place you can walk to is McDonald’s?

“People who have the privilege of choice don’t understand what it’s like to not have that choice.”

Shelling said reducing food insecurity to individual choice ignores systemic issues faced by people in lower socio-economic areas and it excludes people who have experienced colonisation.

“Colonisation is such an important determinant of food insecurity and it has to be acknowledged so that we can remove some of these stigmas about individuals having choice over their food, when really their environment, their intergenerational trauma, their lack of intergenerational wealth through colonisation has all contributed to their inability to choose certain types of food and particularly healthy foods.”

The study identified four key impacts of colonisation, loss of land, erosion of rangatiratanga, marginalisation of Māori knowledge and impacts on health.

“It’s hard to get healthy kai when you don’t have healthy whenua that you can access,” Shelling said.

To solve the problems of food insecurity there is a responsibility from the top down to implement policy and there’s also from the bottom up, what whānau decide to do day to day and what they are able to do, because for a lot of whānau choosing where to buy food is not an option, she said.

“I want to make it really clear that Māori are trying to do something about it and Māori don’t want to be reliant on fast foods and takeaways.

“If we truly understood how colonisation impacted our food systems, we would not call it playing the victim it’s about understanding truly the effects of colonisation on every aspect of our life and for my research in particular on food systems and then where do we go from there and that’s a responsibility that we have for tangata tiriti and tangata whenua for doing it from the top down and the bottom up.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/14/its-hard-to-get-healthy-kai-when-you-dont-have-healthy-whenua/

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Country Life: Behind the scenes of Central Otago’s cherry harvest

Source: Radio New Zealand

Clyde Orchards has been owned and operated by the Paulin family since 1921. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

In the weeks before Chinese New Year, Clyde Orchard’s packhouse is a hive of activity as rich, red cherries freshly picked from surrounding Central Otago orchards are brought in to be washed, packed and prepped – ready for export.

The auspicious colouring of the sweet stone fruits – shades of deep plum and ruby jewels – makes it a sought after treat to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

“We’re now packing fruit today that was picked this morning,” explained Kris Robb, the manager of Clyde Orchards headquartered in Earnscleugh.

“We want to keep the cherries fresh, we want to keep the stalks fresh, and we want to really maintain that crispness of the fruit before it gets into the cool store.”

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Clyde Orchards is a family business, started by the Paulin family in 1921.

Today it’s run by third-generation brothers Kevin and Raymond “Musso”, with the next generation also starting to come on board.

The orchards total over 105-hectares on three different sites throughout Central Otago – the Earnscleugh blocks, some in Bannockburn near Cromwell and another in Bendigo.

Robb explained the orchard is “reasonably unique” in that it grows, packs, exports and markets all its own fruit.

“That vertical integration for us is probably a real driver of the success of the business, and the viability of it going forward. It really means that we’re in charge of our own destiny.

“We’re focusing on high-end niche products [so] that we are able to control how it’s grown and when it’s packed, how it’s packed, and how it’s sold.”

Clyde Orchards general manager Kris Robb. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

Clyde Orchards has a number of different orchards throughout Central Otago. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

Clyde Orchards also grows a range of flat peaches known as flattos. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

With hot, dry summers and cold winters, Central Otago is a region of extremes. It also makes it ideal for growing summer fruit varities.

“The trees need those cooler temperatures in the winter – it’s called winter chilling – and they need a certain amount of hours, the lowest degrees for them to know that it’s time to wake up again when the spring comes,” Robb told Country Life.

“Then that hot, dry summer helps us with pest and disease control, but it also assists with those flavours of the fruit that everyone loves, you know, those juicy, sweet flavours come out with the heat.”

The “core business” is cherries and flat peaches, he says.

Clyde Orchards grows about 10 different types of cherries across half its orchards, which means the harvest period runs for about 8 weeks starting in mid-December. These are largely destined for export, markets such as Taiwan, China, Malaysia and Singapore.

Clyde Orchards is also the only commercial grower, packer and distributor of flat peaches, or flattos, in New Zealand.

Many of the cherries will be destine for export markets ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year period. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

At the peak harvest period, Clyde Orchards has about 150 staff working – picking and packing. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

Technology helps ensure the quality of the fruit being picked. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

Central Otago’s wet summer has made for a challenging growing season this year and delayed the cherry harvest by a week or so.

Robb says it’s more important to allow the fruit to mature properly and pick when it’s at it’s best rather than rush the process.

It’s not quite been the harvest they hoped for, with volumes down, but it’s far from a disaster and they are now turning their attention to bringing in the peaches.

Key to the harvest is the more than 150 staff who help pick and pack the produce.

The team uses Hydralada Platforms to pick cherries. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

The team comprises locals ranging in age from high schoolers to retirees, backpackers from around the globe, and 20 ni-Vanuatu, who are part of the Recognised Seasonal Employer, or RSE, programme.

Clyde Orchards has been involved with the programme since its inception in 2007.

It is a grower-initiated scheme to fill the shortfall of available labour in the horticulture and viticulture sectors and is also aimed at supporting economic development in the Pacific region.

Many of the workers at Clyde Orchards have been coming for almost 20 years.

Robb says they’re “very, very efficient”, averaging about 50-odd buckets a day. The team of five picking cherries in the orchard today, harvest as much as 15 or even 20 new pickers, he told Country Life.

“It’s great to have them here.”

Clyde Orchards has opened its new 10-room accommodation for the RSE team, inspired by a traditional Vanuatuan meeting house. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

Mike, a ni-Van RSE worker, has been coming to Clyde Orchards from Vanuatu for almost 20 years. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life

This season Clyde Orchards opened a new 10-room accommodation unit for the RSE team, inspired by a traditional Vanuatuan meeting house.

For RSE workers like Mike Mangau it is an opportunity to support those on his home island of Tanna.

“When we earn money here, it’s good to take something back home.”

Mike has invested the money earned in a coffee plantation and beekeeping business, as well as building a local kindergarten.

It can be hard being away from home for so long though – he arrived in October and will stay through the harvest period until May.

“It’s good to come over here and help somebody to help our communities and some other things.”

Learn more:

  • Find out more about Clyde Orchards and what they’re growing here

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/14/country-life-behind-the-scenes-of-central-otagos-cherry-harvest/

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Country Life: Growing a farmer on Pāmu’s apprentice scheme

Source: Radio New Zealand

Pāmu apprentice Archie Davidson and Te Wharua farm manager Alan Micky MacDonald RNZ/Sally Round

Apprentice farmer Archie Davidson is learning a thing or two from his dogs.

“That heading dog, he knows everything.

“You send him one way; he goes the other way.

“He’s like, uh-uh, and I’m like, ‘Oh, should have sent you that way’.”

Seventeen-year-old Archie is in his second year on the three-year Pāmu apprenticeship scheme finding his feet at Te Wharua Station, a 1900-hectare sheep and beef farm in central King Country.

Sky, his heading dog, and Grace, his huntaway, are invaluable tools for mustering sheep on the steep hill country.

“[They] teach me patience, teach me how sheep move, sheep flow.”

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Archie with two of his dogs RNZ/Sally Round

He jumps in the side-by-side and heads off up a steep track with me alongside.

The sheep are due for dagging the next day and Archie needs to bring them down from the tops to a paddock closer to the yards.

He’s on a shepherd’s wage now, after learning the basics – on training pay – with the other apprentices at the scheme’s headquarters in Taupo.

Archie got a place on the first intake of the scheme which started in January 2025. Up to nine school leavers earn while they learn and don’t need any prior experience farming.

In their first year, as well as learning the basics of dairying and livestock farming, they do some academic study with the aim of gaining Level 3 and 4 agricultural papers.

Apprentices on Pāmu’s apprenticeship scheme Abby Dance-The Photographer

In the second year they move into an apprentice’s job at one of Pāmu’s farms around the country while they continue their studies.

The son of dairy farmers, Archie decided to move onto Te Wharua, under the wing of farm manager Alan “Micky” MacDonald.

The teen did OK at school but loves the “hands on” nature of on-farm learning.

“I like being out in the hills and there’s hunting on your doorstep.”

Archie watches the muster from a hiiltop RNZ/Sally Round

He’s in and out of the side-by-side, his whistle clenched between his lips, practising the signals which direct the dogs to bring the sheep out of some tricky gullies.

Micky, waiting down below, says it’s important to have the apprentices do valuable jobs on the farm.

“It’s trying to keep it interesting, but it does take time, and sometimes you could do it faster, but then you think, well, these are the future, so give them the space and the time.”

Te Wharua, with its hilly back country and more forgiving finishing paddocks, covers a fair bit for an apprentice, Micky told Country Life.

“If someone does a good stint here and picks up a school level and all those aspects of it, they’re ready to go farming anywhere, really.”

His biggest concern with the cadets is on-farm safety, particularly with Te Wharua’s terrain.

“I sort of try and work them into it, you know, without putting them in a situation where they’re scared or out of their depth.

“We keep them pretty close to one of the team for a bit to see where their skill level’s at, and then we try and build on that while they’re here.”

Archie’s dogs ready for action RNZ/Sally Round

Pastoral care is part of his job too, encouraging the apprentices to get off farm during their time off, and keeping them focused.

“I just straighten them up if they need it, or just talk to them, as I would expect from anyone else.

“They accept it and learn from it and go forward.”

The sheep are safely mustered and in the paddock, ready for dagging tomorrow.

Archie’s looking forward to shearing time and learning more from Micky, a champion in his day.

While the dogs take a break, Micky gives Archie some final instructions, with a bit of banter thrown in.

The partnership is one of the reasons Archie chose this farm for his placement.

“Me and Micky got along well.”

“I liked him from the from the word go,” Micky says about Archie.

“He came here with a good attitude, and he had all the things I like, in a young person, cheeky smile, and, you know, very good work ethic and respectful.

“And there’s some poor old bugger that did that for me once, so it’s my turn now to give it back.”

Learn more:

  • Learn more about Pāmu’s apprenticeship scheme here (PDF)

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/14/country-life-growing-a-farmer-on-pamus-apprentice-scheme/

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Road closed, Old Coach Road, Gore

Source: New Zealand Police

Old Coach Road, between Kaiwera Downs Road and Isla Road, is closed following a two-vehicle crash.

The crash, involving a car and a truck and trailer unit, was reported to emergency services about 6am.

Police are in attendance and diversions are in place.

Three people are reported to be injured.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre.

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/14/road-closed-old-coach-road-gore/

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New Zealand SailGP: What you need to know

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand SailGP

4pm Saturday, 14 February

11.30am Sunday, 15 February*

Wynyard Point, Auckland

Live updates on RNZ

*Start time has been change for the weather

Amid considerable fanfare, SailGP has returned to Auckland, building on a wildly successful – not for the home team though – debut in 2025.

The wait for availability of the Wynyard Point site proved well worthwhile, when spectators crammed the giant grandstand on the waterfront to watch Australia claim honours last year – and organisers promise bigger and better this time round.

Here’s what you should know about the professional sailing event.

History

Sail Grand Prix was created in 2018 by billionaire Larry Ellison and Kiwi sailing legend Sir Russell Coutts, loosely based on the America’s Cup, where both its founders originated from.

Unlike the ‘Auld Mug’, this format was designed for high-speed racing in identical F50 catamarans around spectator-friendly courses near the shoreline.

Black Foils win a race at 2025 New Zealand SailGP on the Waitematā Harbour. Felix Diemer for SailGP

Many of the crews are also involved in the America’s Cup, so this event enables them to remain fully professional sailors between four-year cycles, albeit in a different class of boat.

The fleet began with just six teams, but has since doubled in size, with the addition of Brazil and Italy last year, before adding Sweden as the 13th entry for 2026.

Guided by Tom Slingsby, Australia have dominated the league, winning the first three editions and finishing runners-up in the last two. Spain were 2023/24 champions, while Great Britain triumphed in 2024/25.

Another feature of the competition is known as the ‘Impact League’, which rewards teams for promoting sustainability and inclusivity within their organisations. Winning teams receive prizemoney to donate to charities and New Zealand took 2021/22 honours.

Format

Each regatta takes place over a series of tightly contested fleet races (up to seven) across two days, with teams gaining points based on their placings and the top three qualifying for the final at the end of the weekend.

Overall results from each stopover count towards season rankings, with the top three again qualifying for the series final.

Black Foils

New Zealand did not contest the inaugural SailGP series, but joined the fleet in 2020, under the leadership of America’s Cup supremo Peter Burling and sidekick Blair Tuke.

New Zealand celebrate victory at Portsmouth 2025. Kieran Cleeves for SailGP

Their distinctive boat Amokura was launched the following year and has suffered several accidents since.

In 2023, its mast was struck by lightning in Singapore, as it was being towed back to base, frying its electrical systems. The NZ crew were already ashore, collecting their winners’ prize, but Danish grinder Martin Kirketerp – who was helping return the boat to port – was taken to hospital with an electric shock.

Later that same season, Amokura’s wing collapsed while racing at Saint-Tropez. No-one was hurt, but the damage was too serious to continue racing and repairs could not be carried out before the next round at Taranto, Italy.

In March 2024, the NZ team announced their ‘Black Foils’ nickname, aligning with other famous Kiwi sporting outfits.

Burling and Tuke have won Olympic and world championship gold, won and defended the America’s Cup and sailed around the world (separately), but SailGP success has eluded them. They finished second in 2022/23 and third the last two years.

Form

The 2026 series has had only one stop so far, at Perth, with the defending champion British team picking up where they left off last year, heading off Australia and France in the event final.

Sweden won two of the seven preliminary races, but finished last in the seventh to place fourth, while Canada also showed their ability with victory in the last race.

New Zealand were off to the worst-possible start to their campaign, damaging their stern in a collision with Switzerland during the opening race and, while the Swiss were able to return to the water on the second day, the Kiwis were shorebound for the rest of the weekend and faced some time pressure to repair their board for the Auckland leg.

They are now at the bottom of the table with no points, alongside Switzerland and Spain, who also suffered malfunctions off Perth.

Great Britain claim victory off Perth in January. James Gourley for SailGP

New Zealand SailGP

New Zealand was originally included on the 2021/22 championship schedule, with Lyttelton Harbour, Christchurch, as the venue on an alternating arrangement with Auckland’s Wynyard Point.

Covid-19 delayed the NZ stopover until 2023, with Christchurch hosting the very successful event, and it returned there the following year, when the Auckland waterfront site was unavailable.

This time, racing was not possible on the opening day, due to dolphins on the course, and Coutts vowed not to use the venue again.

Instead, Auckland staged the 2025 event, fully justifying the decision to develop Wynyard Point, with a grandstand that is expected to hold more than 10,000 spectators and break the SailGP attendance record, along with unticketed viewing along the shoreline.

Kiwi Phil Robertson skippered Canada to victory at the inaugural 2023 NZ SailGP, Burling steered the Kiwis home in 2024, but the Black Foils struck electrical problems at Auckland, with the Aussies dominating the weekend.

Sir Russell Coutts makes the decision to cancel racing at Lyttelton 2024, as dolphins invade the racecourse. Chloe Knott for SailGP

Teams

Australia: Tom Slingsby (driver), Tash Bryant (strategist), Nina Curtis (strategist), Iain Jensen (wing trimmer), Kinley Fowler (flight controller/grinder), Sam Newton (grinder), Jason Waterhouse (flight controller/tactician), Tom Needham (reserve)

Brazil: Martine Grael (driver), Marco Grael (grinder), Mateus Isaac (grinder), Rasmus Kostner (flight controller), Pietro Sibello (wing trimmer), Paul Goodison (strategist), Richard Mason (reserve), Breno Kneipp (grinder)

Canada: Giles Scott (driver), Billy Gooderham (flight controller), Paul Campbell-James (wing trimmer), Annie Haeger (strategist), Georgia Lewin-LaFrance (strategist), Tom Ramshaw (grinder), Tim Hornsby (grinder/technical director), Alex Sinclair (grinder)

Denmark: Nicolai Sehested (driver), Tom Johnson (wing trimmer), Ed Powys (flight controller), Anee-Marie Rindom (strategist), Hans-Christian Rosendahl (grinder), Luke Payne (grinder), Kahena Kunze (strategist)

France: Quentin Delapierre (driver), Manon Audinet (strategist), Leigh McMillan (wing trimmer), Jason Saunders (flight controller), Olivier Herledant (grinder), Bruno Mourniac (grinder), Timothy Lapauw (grinder), Enzo Balanger (reserve), Amelie Riou (reserve)

Germany: Erik Kosegarten-Heil (driver), Kevin Peponnet (wing trimmer), James Wierzbowski (flight controller), Anna Barth (strategist), Will Tiller (grinder), Linov Scheel (grinder)

Great Britain: Dylan Fletcher (driver), Hannah Mills (strategist), Stuart Bithell (wing trimmer), Luke Parkinson (flight controller),, Nick Hutton (trimmer/grinder), Neil Hunter (grinder), Kai Hockley (development), Ben Cornish (reserve), Ellie Aldridge (development)

Italy: Phil Robertson (driver), Ruggero Tita (alternate driver), Kyle Langford (wing trimmer), Andrea Tesei (flight controller), Will Ryan (grinder), Enrico Voltolini (grinder), Jana Germani (strategist), Maelle Frascari (strategist), Jimmy Spithill (reserve driver)

Australia celebrate their 2025 victory at New Zealand SailGP. Brett Phibbs for SailGP

New Zealand: Peter Burling (driver), Blair Tuke (wing trimmer), Leo Takahashi (flight controller), Liv Mackay (strategist), Louis Sinclair (grinder), Marcus Hansen (grinder)

Spain: Diego Botin (driver), Florian Trittel (wing trimmer), Joel Rodriguez (flight controller), Nicolle van der Velden (strategist), Joan Cardona (tactician/grinder), Bernard Freitas (grinder), Matthew Barber (grinder)

Sweden: Nathan Outteridge (driver), Julia Gross (strategist), Chris Draper (wing trimmer), Any Maloney (flight controller), Brad Farrand (wing trimmer), Julius Hallstrom (grinder)

Switzerland: Sebastian Schneiter (driver), Arnaud Psarofaghis (wing trimmer), Bryan Mattraux (flight controller), Stewart Dodson (grinder), Arno de Planta (reserve), Maud Jayet (strategist), Matt Gotrel (grinder)

USA: Taylor Canfield (driver), Michael Menninger (wing trimmer), Hans Henken (flight controller), Andrew Campbell (strategist), Anna Weis (grinder), Peter Kinney (grinder), Mac Agnese (grinder), Harry Melges IV (reserve)

Weather

In a case of imperfect timing, New Zealand’s North Island – including Auckland – is under storm warning this weekend, which has already forced a couple of changes to event scheduling.

Friday practice racing was cancelled, with only New Zealand, Spain and Germany allowed out on the water to test their recent modifications before racing begins in earnest.

In anticipation of worsening conditions on Sunday afternoon, the second day’s racing has been brought forward to 11.30am.

Everyone is talking glowingly of great sailing conditions, but maybe not so great for spectators.

Asked about the expected big winds, Auckland-born Italy driver Phil Robertson replied: “You wet your pants a little and you move on.”

Where to watch

Organisers have increased the size of the already impressive Wynyard Point grandstand by 30 percent to more than 10,000 seats. Boats will whistle past so close, you can almost reach out and touch them.

Other vantage points around the harbour include any of the wharves as far as Bledisloe Wharf on the city side, Westhaven Marina and Stanley Point on the North Shore.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/14/new-zealand-sailgp-what-you-need-to-know/

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Wellington Phoenix fight back on and off the field

Source: Radio New Zealand

Ifeanyi Eze of the Phoenix AAP / Photosport

The Wellington Phoenix have questions.

The Phoenix came back from 2-0 down at halftime to draw 2-2 with Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney, thanks to a maiden A-League goal from All Whites defender Bill Tuiloma and an eighth of the season from golden boot leader Ifeanyi Eze.

However, after the final whistle the Phoenix were still perplexed by a decision head coach Giancarlo Italiano believed could have influenced the outcome.

The Phoenix feel they should have been awarded a penalty early in the second half when defender Matt Sheridan was brought down in the Wanderers box.

Despite the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) instructing referee Adam Kersey to take a closer look at his decision not to give a penalty, Kersey upheld his decision.

Italiano was left confused by the officials’ decision making.

“The fourth [official] said there was no contact so then they’re reviewing the process so there is contact, but then they said there wasn’t a foul or intention,” Italiano said post-match.

“I’m not really sure what was seen or said and that’s the frustrating part.

“If there’s no contact then obviously VAR doesn’t review but they must have seen contact. And then for me if there’s contact then it’s a foul.”

Italiano was happy with the team’s “bounce back” in the second half.

“I’m not sure how many teams are coming back from 2-nil down away from home and they’re (Wanderers) are playing for their season.

“We made some changes at halftime… and I thought the players that came on gave us the difference.

“I feel like we probably could have won that in the end.”

Italiano made three changes to the side from the Waitangi Day defeat to Melbourne Victory, with Sarpreet Singh making his first appearance for the club in the best part of seven years.

However, he was forced from the field just after halftime with a knee injury.

Fit-again club captain Alex Rufer and Sheridan also returned to the starting side.

The draw lifts Wellington up one spot on the ladder to 10th, three points outside the top six.

The Phoenix’s next game is against Auckland FC in the sixth New Zealand derby.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/14/wellington-phoenix-fight-back-on-and-off-the-field/

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Weather live: State of Emergency declared in Ōtorohanga

Source: Radio New Zealand

Flooding at Ōtorohanga Museum. Supplied / Amanda Kiddie

Ōtorohanga is under a State of Emergency after it was hit by widespread flooding and heavy rain.

Mayor Rodney Dow made the declaration at 12:57am on Saturday. It expires in seven days.

He said there had been reports of flooding, slips and inundation.

“The situation in Ōtorohanga is serious, and with nightfall upon us, it’s important we are prepared and have the right controls in place to provide help and support, including required evacuations if needed.”

Heavy rain warnings and watches are in place for much of the North Island, with downpours likely to continue throughout the day.

Orange heavy rain warnings are in place for Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne. Gisborne/Tai Rāwhiti, in particular, is expected to see a more sustained period of heavy rain.

There are also a heavy rain watches for Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Hawke’s Bay.

Multiple roads remain closed after significant flooding and slips.

Flooding in Waikato has closed State Highway 39 between Pirongia and Ōtorohanga. A detour is available via State Highway 3.

Whirinaki Valley Road in Horohoro is open under stop/go traffic management following a slip, but the Transport Agency warns the State Highway 30 road could close at short notice if weather conditions changed.

Towards Tai Rāwhiti, other roads remained closed following earlier storms.

State Highway 2 Waioweka Gorge is closed between Ōpōtiki to Mātāwai because of slips and flooding.

State Highway 35 is shut between Pōtaka and Te Araroa while it’s being repaired, while the stretch between Whakaangiangi Road and Te Araroa is also closed for the weekend, because of the adverse weather forecast.

See our live blog above for the latest updates.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/14/weather-live-state-of-emergency-declared-in-otorohanga/

Posted on

What makes a good break-up song?

Source: Radio New Zealand

It’s a situation that will be familiar to many of us: you’re hurting after the demise of a romantic relationship, and you hear a song, with its key, rhythm and lyrics, perfectly putting sound and words to the feeling in your heart.

You put it on high rotation, drawing out the pain and drip feeding your soul.

“It’s the emotion around that that a break-up song can help shift,” says Chris O’Connor, a music therapist at Auckland’s Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust.

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/14/what-makes-a-good-break-up-song/

Posted on

Ōtorohanga Museum’s precious taonga wrecked by floodwaters

Source: Radio New Zealand

Volunteers try to protect what they can from the rising floodwaters. Supplied / Amanda Kiddie

Several precious taonga from Ōtorohanga Museum will not be able to be saved after floodwaters rushed inside it.

Almost two dozen members of the community rallied to save what they could.

But it would not be until Saturday that the full extent of the damage could be gauged.

“So by the time we got inside we had called the fire brigade,” museum treasurer Amanda Kiddie said.

“There was nothing they could do of course because it was beyond sandbagging.

“We went inside, there were taonga floating around.”

Kiddie said about 20 people turned up to help, and she was immensely grateful to the community for doing so.

“All nationalities, all cultures, everybody just wanting to save our taonga, just amazing,” Kiddie said.

When she arrived water was above the bottom of the waka whare’s door, the museum’s biggest taonga.

They had to cut power because the power outlets were under water, but managed to save some delicate items.

Some whānau took items home for safety.

But the “beautiful” display boards could not be saved.

Damage to the waka would be looked at in the light of day.

Flooding at Ōtorohanga Museum. Supplied / Amanda Kiddie

“But the flood waters have actually touched our waka … we’re not quite sure how much there is to assess,” she said.

“Definitely I had some tears.”

As treasurer, Kiddie said she knew all the hard work, money and grants that had gone into the museum.

“And I looked at it and thought, wow, how much of that is now gone in the space of a few hours?”

She spoke to RNZ after she left the museum and was trying to get home to Maihiihi.

“There’s a few cars now stuck but thankfully some of the young local boys are standing there waving people back,” she said.

“The road is a mess, there’s lots of slips, lots of floodwater … there’s floods on roads we didn’t even know would flood.

“I mean, I can’t remember even reading the museum ever flooding,” Kiddie said.

Waikato Regional Council, just before 11pm on Friday, said 165.5mm of rain had fallen on the Pūniu River at Ngaroma in 12 hours.

The town has been flooded after 100mm of rain fell in 8hrs on Friday. Supplied / Amanda Kiddie

Church, marae stood up for people unable to get home

Ōtorohanga District Council said on Friday night that St David’s Church on Ranfurly Street was open to anyone who could not make it home.

“If you need somewhere warm and dry, please come by for a hot cup of tea and stay out of the rain,” it said.

The town’s wastewater system was overwhelmed and stretched to capacity, and the council urged people not to flush toilets or use unnecessary water.

“Reducing water use will help ease pressure on the network and minimise the risk of overflows,” it said.

“If you are experiencing flooding, please stay safe and avoid driving through floodwaters. If possible, stay home until conditions improve.”

Hauraki-Waikato MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke last night posted an update from Civil Defence.

It said Police and FENZ had arrived in Ōtorohanga and were meeting with the Civil Defence controller to get a full picture.

“There are multiple slips on state highway and local roads,” it said.

Waikato Tainui said Te Kotahitanga Marae was also open “for whanau to come to get warm and dry”.

Some roads in the Waipā district are closed due to severe flooding. Waipā District Council

The Waipā district

Waipā District Council last night said it was fielding multiple calls of flooding across the district.

This was particularly around Pirongia and Te Pahu, it said.

Flooding on Friday night closed Kakepuku Road, Corcoran Road, Grey Road and Waite Road in Te Pahu.

“Our teams are on the ground, and we’ll provide updates as soon as we can,” the council said.

Debris and boulders were being pushed onto roads.

Liz Parker, who lived on Corcoran Road, said things got bad quickly.

“There has been huge flooding all the way down our little tiny stream, ripping out a lot of plants and trees and bringing boulders down the river.

“I believe that there’s a big boulder or something that’s blocking the bridge.”

Parker said she had never seen it so bad in her five years living in the area.

Waipā Networks said last night it was responding to power outages caused by the severe weather and flooding, with several areas across its network affected.

“Flooded roads and challenging conditions are limiting crew access, and some customers will remain without power overnight,” it said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/14/otorohanga-museums-precious-taonga-wrecked-by-floodwaters/

Posted on

Love, lies, and prime-time pressure

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Detail’s Amanda Gillies sat down with MAFS expert John Aiken for insight into this season’s highs and lows. RNZ

Former New Zealand cricket star turned Australian love expert John Aiken talks love, scandals and the show that changed reality TV

John Aiken was 15 minutes late for our 15-minute interview to talk about desperate Australian singles chasing their 15 minutes of fame.

A text message from his publicity team explained the problem: he loves to chat, especially about Married at First Sight. And, as a result, he was behind schedule.

Sydney-based Aiken is a relationship expert on the show and is in New Zealand on the publicity trail for the latest season, number 13. But there’s nothing unlucky about this season (unless you are an awkward couple looking for love).

One week in, and the show is already number one in Australia. It now airs in 120 countries, including New Zealand. And here, it’s a ratings hit for Three.

Aiken finally arrived at The Detail studio armed with a chocolate brownie, iced with “I can’t marry you”. He roars with laughter before quickly offering another brownie, this time emblazoned with “Love You”. He has a box of the treats, for each of his interviewers.

A relationship specialist and long-time husband to former New Zealand presenter Kelly Swanson Roe, Aiken loves love.

And that makes him a perfect fit for MAFS, a job he secured after responding to a “random email” that arrived in his inbox at his relationship psychologist practice in 2014, before the start of season one.

Back then, he thought it would be a one-season wonder – four couples took part in the social experiment where they met for the first time at the altar. Just six episodes aired.

“Everybody thought it would be one and done,” Aiken tells The Detail. “I was excited by it, scared by it. But also thinking in the back of my mind, this will be six episodes, and I’ll never see it again.”

But “the show exploded” with audiences quickly falling in love with the unpredictable tears, tantrums, and love drama.

And the now 40-episode show with 12 couples has made Aiken a star in his own right and one of the most recognisable faces in Australia.

But that comes at a cost – last year, he was cornered outside a cafe, filmed, and followed by a podcaster, who told him that the MAFS experts are the “real villains of this show”.

“It’s confronting, because your mind goes into this state of ‘how does someone know where you are?’, and ‘am I being followed?’, you sort of get paranoid, really,” Aiken says.

“And it rattles you a little bit because you are in a state where you feel like you could say something wrong, and you get a ‘gotcha moment’ that could hurt the show or could hurt you. And you are on edge.”

On the show, he’s also had plenty of “moments” with lovelorn contestants who take exception to his straightforward, no-nonsense advice. He’s not afraid to call out toxic behaviour and hold couples accountable for their often-outlandish behaviour.

“During the show, yes, they have had me on, used some colourful language.”

He says this year, audiences have to “brace themselves for a hectic and confronting season”.

“Because we have a group dynamic of very overpowering, domineering women who are going to come for everybody.”

They call themselves the boss babes.

“They band together at the hens’ night, and then they go forth, and they look to conquer anyone and anything during the experiment.

“It makes it very difficult for love to come through in such a toxic environment.”

About 12,000 Aussies now put their hands up to appear on the show every year. But this is then whittled down to the “top 30 or 40” for Aiken and the team to match up.

He appreciates that many are chasing their 15 minutes of fame, but contrary to popular belief, he insists nothing is scripted, singles aren’t plied with alcohol to create drama, and there isn’t a “villain edit … what you see on camera is exactly what you see off camera”.

“People will cross the road to abuse me, but they will also cross the road to thank me because it’s polarising, people will either love it or hate it. They don’t sit in the middle.

“But there are many myths.

“It is totally unscripted and unpredictable, that’s why I watch it like everyone else … even though I have lived it, I don’t know what’s going to make it to air.”

He says couples are told they will be constantly filmed, and it’s up to them how they act and what they say.

But he adds, the show does have “a system [and] a duty of care” to ensure contestants are well supported.

“They meet psychologists before going on the show, and they get fully assessed. They have social media training before they go on the show, and then they have psychologists on set and available to them throughout the show and then after the show indefinitely … so they can really access that support all the time.”

Over the past 12 seasons, just six couples have truly fallen in love and stayed together. But they are crucial to the show’s success.

“We need this – the show has to work, otherwise people aren’t going to watch it, if it was just chaos,” says Aiken, who admitted he wouldn’t be a contestant on the show.

There’s no sign of MAFS losing momentum; if anything, it’s getting bigger and more explosive.

“The show appeals to both singles and couples, so I think it has longevity to it. How long that will be, I’m not sure, but I certainly would love to see it out if I could.”

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

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