Source: New Zealand Police
One person has died after a single-vehicle crash on Mahuta Gap, Te Kopuru, this morning.
Emergency services were called to the scene about 7.15am.
Sadly, one person was located deceased.
The Serious Crash Unit has examined the scene.
The death will be referred to the Coroner.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/fatal-crash-te-koporu/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Khawat, a sisterhood for ethnic women, hosting a run club. SUPPLIED
From watching homelands burn on social media to being stuck between cultures, there is one migrant community facing some of the worst mental health.
Middle Eastern, Latin American and African (MELAA) young people are an ethnic minority reporting unique challenges.
Having to navigate trauma, mixed identities and many other potential obstacles, some young people are also saying there is a gap in culturally sensitive mental health support.
In December 2024 the Ministry of Ethnic Communities released its ethnic evidence summary. As part of its findings, it stated that while most ethnic communities faced mental health challenges, MELAA people were reporting lower overall wellbeing with more than one third of the youth having seriously considered attempting suicide.
As heartbreaking as the statistic was, it had not come as a shock to some in the community.
Fatima Sanussi is a refugee and the founder of ‘Do You Still Dream?’, a creative platform for migrants and refugees.
She said she was not surprised that MELAA youth were reporting such low mental health.
“During this time where you can see what’s happening in Palestine, you can see what’s happening in Congo, you see what’s happening in Sudan, we have communities here that are impacted … that carry these narratives.”
Community advocate Fatima Sanussi SUPPLIED
Originally from Sudan and Ethiopia, Sanussi was a year and a half when she resettled to South Auckland with her family.
She said a significant portion of the MELAA community were in Aotearoa due to forced displacement, and they did not always receive enough support.
Many of the youth Sanussi had grown up with in Otahuhu had left a brutal conflict.
“That type of trauma was not addressed, the trauma that they carried from the conflict.”
Community advocate Fatima Sanussi SUPPLIED
Her own mental health had suffered because of the war in Sudan, especially with the exposure on social media.
“I watched my homeland be destroyed, a tremendous amount of death, displacement as well as the loss of my own and the worry of my family being in a war zone.”
At 28, Sanussi was still navigating her own mental health journey, recalling the first time she went to therapy following the passing of her father.
“It was hard to speak to the therapist, I remember I was about 14 or 15 and I felt like she couldn’t understand me,” Sanussi said.
She felt there was no cultural awareness in the process with little understanding for her struggles as a young ethnic person and the experience discouraged her from seeking help until recently.
It was only last year, more than a decade later, that Sanussi decided to give it another go after feeling the impact of the war in Sudan.
Eman Ghandour, an AUT career advisor and founder of Khawat, a network for ethnic women, said the poor mental health for MELAA youth was due to many layered factors.
Eman Ghandour SUPPLIED
Originally from Jordan, Ghandour said she had struggled with depression for many years and one of the main reasons was a flickering sense of belonging.
She identified as a 1.5 generation migrant, a term for migrants who moved from their country of origin during their childhoods.
Lost between the culture they were born with and the culture they were trying to adopt, she said young migrants could struggle with their identity.
“I always say to my parents you’ve never doubted that you were Arab right, you’ve never doubted that you’re a Muslim… but for us we’ve always tapped in and out of that.
“One of the biggest barriers for mental health is actually that in-between feeling.”
Khawat, a sisterhood for ethnic women, hosting a run club. SUPPLIED
Although most migrants can experience this feeling, MELAA youth are considered a minority within a minority, making up only 3 percent of the population.
The ethnic summaries report had also stated that MELAA people could face employment barriers “on a similar scale as Māori and Pacific peoples”, although the types of barriers were not necessarily the same.
Ghandour pressed the point that mental health was holistic and was linked to things like employment and education for young people.
As a career consultant, Ghandour said there was a high expectation for second generation immigrants to achieve employment and get into industries with the same ease as non-migrants.
However, this was often not the case, even with the many migrants who graduated with top grades.
“They don’t have an in, they don’t understand the recruitment process they don’t see themselves like they belong to a certain workplace so there’s massive barriers of even getting through the door.”
Some of the young women from Khawat, a community for ethnic wahine, at a gym session. SUPPLIED
The ethnic summaries report was the first of its kind in identifying how ethnic communities were doing across a range of sectors including mental health.
It had also highlighted that being a female, having a sexual or gender minority status were also some of the factors associated with higher suicidal and self-harming behaviour amongst MELAA youth.
Ministry of Ethnic Communities deputy chief executive Pratima Namasivayam said the statistics for MELAA youth mental health were concerning and the group was now one of the ministry’s priorities.
“It was the first time when we brought together Ethnic Evidence, we went, ‘Oh my God look at this particular finding for MELAA youth’.”
The Ministry of Ethnic Communities deputy chief executive Pratima Namasivayam. SUPPLIED
While young migrants contributed strongly to their communities’, factors like racism in schools, biases in workplaces, non-recognition of overseas qualification and trauma were still contributing to low mental health.
The report stated that for Asian and MELAA young people in particular, racial discrimination at school and low family support were “risk factors for self-harm”, however, high cultural self-esteem was a “protective factor”.
In 2023, the ministry worked with the Education Review Office to release a report which showed racism and ethnicity-based bullying in schools remain prevalent.
Namasivayam said nearly one in five MELAA learners had reported feeling that they did not belong and one in three reported loneliness, this was just one of the factors explaining the poor mental health statistics.
“We’re now doing a deep dive into it because we want to really understand what’s happening.”
Namasivayam said MELAA youth were now a top priority when it came to improving mental health for ethnic communities.
She said some positive movements had resulted from the findings of the report such as the Auckland, Kuwaiti community hosting a wellbeing event for young women.
Having spoken to the Ministry of Health, a search into MELAA youth mental health was now part of the New Zealand Suicide Prevention Action Plan.
However, there was still work to be done and Namasivayam said the ministry was now focused on communicating with existing youth groups and service providers to further its knowledge of an underrepresented group.
“We’re thinking that what would be really good is we go and talk to existing youth groups, to talk about mental health, rather than doing a wide general community consultation.”
Ghandour said there was a need for a more holistic approach, that looked at improving physical and mental health while empowering communities and giving them shared spaces.
“If you have a really good sense of identity and understanding your whakapapa, who you are, your migration story … you have a better career outcome, you have better confidence”
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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/2026/02/28/the-migrant-communities-reporting-some-of-the-worst-mental-health/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Police recovered a knife at the scene and a 65-year-old man was arrested by responding staff. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
A man has been arrested after a serious assault in Auckland’s CBD on Friday night that left two people with serious injuries.
Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Matthews said emergency crews were called to Lorne Street about 10.20pm.
Mathews said two people were hurt and that one was critically injured but is now stable. The other suffered serious injuries.
Police also recovered a knife at the scene and a 65-year-old man was arrested by responding staff.
The man was due to appear in Auckland District Court on Saturday on two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Cordons remained in place as investigations continued.
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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/2026/02/28/man-arrested-after-central-auckland-assault-leaves-two-seriously-hurt/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Blade shearers at work preparing for the Golden Shears in Masterton. RNZ/Sally Round
At Rewa Rewa Station’s woolshed in Tīnui shearers are at work, but it’s not as noisy as usual.
Over the clatter of sheep hooves on the floorboards, you can make out the snip-snip-snip of blade shears instead of the much louder whirr of machine shearing tools.
Holding the shears – which look like giant scissors – are 15 blade shearers from several countries – here to learn a few tips from world champion blade shearer Allan Oldfield, in preparation for the Golden Shears competition in Masterton next week.
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Blade shearing is slower than machine shearing but leaves a thicker layer of wool on the sheep, beneficial if they’re caught in spring storms, Oldfield said.
“Blade shears leave about half an inch, so 10 or 12 millimetres of wool on the sheep, and that just gives them some protection against the elements, whereas even the cover combs on machines, which are meant to leave more wool on, they only leave five or six millimetres of wool.”
It’s done over a short season but is a skill in demand, with only about 20 commercial blade shearers in New Zealand, he said.
“It takes a lot of time to learn to blade shear well. For three months of work a year, a lot of people aren’t willing to put that effort in.”
A shearer works his way with his blades over a sheep, leaving a thicker layer of wool on the animal, beneficial before spring storms. RNZ/Sally Round
Blade shearing tutors Allan Oldfield and his father Phil at smoko in the woolshed. RNZ/Sally Round
Blade shearing is valued for cultural as well as practical reasons, according to the multi-national group in the woolshed.
Maureen Cadet from France has used her blades on flocks on remote islands where there is no electricity, and on milking sheep in the Pyrenees.
“It’s actually a pretty nice day, because everybody is gathering. We are, like, 20 or more shearers, blade shearing on that small flock for the day, and having a party at night.”
Wearing moccasins, tough jeans and a black singlet, she looks like shearers the world over, honing her blades on a sharpening tool in the corner of the woolshed.
Maureen Cadet holding a pair of blades. She has ten pairs at home in France. RNZ/Sally Round
In another part of the shed, shearers from The Netherlands and the Basque Country sort through a fleece, exchanging knowledge in a mixture of Spanish, Dutch and English.
Erik Bijlsma, from The Netherlands, likes the idea of practising an old craft.
“We’ve got those flocks that are grazing fields of heather, that are brought into the village, and then they make a sort of a festivity out of it to shear the sheep, and that’s all done in the traditional way.
“It’s much easier on the ears than machine shearing.”
Blade shearers from The Netherlands, France and the United States training at Rewa Rewa Station in Tīnui. RNZ/Sally Round
Being a social bunch, blade shearers enjoy the relative quiet of their craft, Oldfield’s father Phil said.
With half a century of shearing and wool handling under his belt, he was also in the woolshed imparting his knowledge.
Not having to shout above the machines, talk on the woolshed floor veers from politics to religion to relationships he said.
Also, according to Oldfield senior, blade shearing is way easier on the body.
“When you machine-shear a sheep, you pretty much turn it 360 degrees every time you shear them. And you’re shearing 200 or 300 or 400 a day.
“With the blade shearing, you walk around the sheep, and you might shear one or 200 sheep a day, so a lot less weight being carted around.”
Loren Opstedahl from South Dakota is in the United States’ two-person blade shearing team. He has competed at the Golden Shears twice before in machine-shearing.
His blades and his body were getting a good workout at the blade shearing school – good practice given he rarely took up the blades back home.
“If I practice, I’m shearing alongside my team. So they’re shearing with machines, and I’m over there shearing with the blades, slower, making less money, killing time.
“I just have to force myself to do the practice there, because it’s more nostalgic in the US.”
Allan Oldfield took his blade shearing school to Rewa Rewa Station in Wairarapa to give blade shearers some tips before competition at the Golden Shears. RNZ/Sally Round
New Zealand traditionally does well in the blade shearing, Allan Oldfield said, with South Africa the toughest ones to beat.
He was expecting good competition at the Golden Shears.
“The big thing for competition shearing, and that we’re working on here, is getting a really clean finish on the sheep.
“Blade shearing is probably 65 percent quality of the job, 35 percent speed.”
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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/2026/02/28/country-life-international-blade-shearers-on-edge-for-the-golden-shears/
Source: Radio New Zealand
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A case in which an Australian house buyer lost more than A$100,000 because he was two days’ late with his deposit payment could happen in New Zealand, too, a banking expert says.
The Queensland Supreme Court ruled this week that Stephen Gary Evans had to forfeit his entire $98,500 deposit – plus interest.
He had tried to buy a property at Shailer Park, near Brisbane, in 2024 for A$985,000 from Yea Lan Jan.
Justice Michael Copley noted in his judgement, issued on Friday, that the contract to buy the house was subject to a building and pest inspection, and finance.
The parties agreed that the contract was formed on 23 January, 2024.
The contract required the deposit to be paid into the real estate agency trust account when both parties had signed.
But because of bank transfer limits, the full amount was not paid until two days later.
Evans was told by his bank that he had to visit a branch in person if he wanted to increase the limit on the amount he could transfer, which was set at A$50,000 a day.
There was not enough time to do so on the day the contract was signed so he rang the real estate agent that evening.
He received a text the next morning telling him he “may need to deposit today” and was able to transfer A$45,000. He sent a text saying the rest would be sent the day after.
The real estate agent replied, appearing to confirm that plan.
A building and pest inspection happened that day.
The next day, he transferred another A$50,000 and arranged for his brother to transfer the remainder of the deposit.
“In the meantime, at 1:17 pm that day the defendant’s solicitors sent an email to the plaintiff’s solicitors inviting comment about why [Jan] could not terminate the contract in view of the deposit not having being paid in accordance with the contract,” Copley noted.
“On 28 January 2024 the realtor informed the plaintiff via a text message that the defendant did not want to sell the house to him and was going to cancel the contract. On 29 January 2024 the defendant’s solicitors informed the plaintiff’s solicitors that the defendant terminated the contract because the plaintiff failed to pay the deposit by the due date in accordance with the contract.”
Evans told the court that he thought the real estate agent had the authority to represent the seller in all aspects of the sale.
“Based on the text message of 10:58 am on 24 January 2024 and the absence of any further message to the contrary, he believed the defendant had agreed to him paying the deposit on 24 and 25 January 2024. Had he not received this message from the realtor he would have attended his bank on 24 January 2024 and arranged to pay the deposit in full that day,” Copley’s judgement said.
Jan gave evidence that she never authorised the agent or requested that she agree to the extension of time for the deposit.
Copley said that the real estate agent did not have authority to agree to arrangement for the payment of the deposit that did not align with the contract.
Jan counterclaimed for the deposit plus interest from 29 January, 2024 and was successful.
“The counterclaim is based on the plaintiff having breached clause 2.2(1) of the contract by not paying the deposit by 23 January 2024. This was not a matter which was in dispute. Next, if the plaintiff failed to comply with an essential term of the contract, the defendant could terminate the contract under clause 9.1. This was not disputed … Then the defendant relied on clause 9.4(2) of the contract which provided that if the defendant terminated the contract under clause 9.1, the defendant may ‘forfeit the Deposit and any interest earned’.”
Copley ordered that the deposit be forfeited to Jan plus interest.
Banking expert Claire Matthews of Massey University said the same situation could happen here, but it was unlikely – and was likely to be an anomaly in Australia too.
“It seems the purchaser could have a case against the agent for not advising the seller.”
She said, as in Australian coverage of the case, it was “morally wrong even if legally correct”.
“I think the vendor has been unreasonable, and I wonder about their motives. However, the purchaser did have the option of visiting a branch to enable the full deposit to be made, and it’s not clear why that didn’t happen.
“It also appears the purchaser may not have had legal advice, and I’d strongly encourage both parties in a real estate transaction to get legal advice.”
Banking Ombudsman Nicola Sladden said banks’ payment limits varied.
“If a customer knows they will need to make a large or unusual transaction, it’s a good idea to contact their bank in advance. This allows the bank to work with the customer to put appropriate arrangements in place, so the payment can be made safely and on time.”
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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/2026/02/28/australian-buyer-loses-100k-deposit-due-to-banking-rules-could-the-same-happen-here/
Source: New Zealand Police
Attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Matthews:
One person has been arrested, and two people injured, after a serious assault on Lorne Street late last night.
Emergency services were called to the scene about 10.20pm.
One person reportedly sustained critical injuries, and is now stable. Another person received serious injuries. A knife was recovered at the scene.
A 65-year-old man was arrested at the scene by responding staff. He is due to appear in Auckland District Court today on two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Cordons remain in place today, and a scene examination will be carried out.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/28/serious-assault-lorne-street/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Sir Charles Godfray from Oxford University is a population biologist and director of its Future of Food programme. Rebecca McMillan / Supplied
It is time for the food sector to have difficult conversations about its emissions, particularly beef and dairy. That was the message from a top UK scientist at the Riddet Institute’s Agrifood Summit.
Sir Charles Godfray from Oxford University is a population biologist and director of its Future of Food programme.
Addressing food security and sustainability at the Wellington gathering this week, he said while there had been concerns about how to feed a burgeoning population – expected to hit over 10 billion people by the 2080s – the bigger issue was how to feed them while ensuring adequate nutrition.
“We now know that if you bring people out of poverty, if you provide them with education, especially for girls, then human population fertility goes down. So we can now intellectually think about a time when humanity’s demands on the planet to produce food will plateau and even go down.”
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In particular, there were challenges about feeding an ageing population, Sir Charles said.
“Old people demand different, a different type of food than the younger people.”
Addressing protein deficits and improving diets, particularly in low-income countries, was another challenge facing the food sector with the “fetishisation of protein” in recent years.
Sir Charles said high- and middle-income countries like New Zealand had to avoid the “hypocrisy” of lecturing lower-income countries on how to manage this in a warming climate.
He thought it likely the world would begin to see more and more extreme events associated with climate, so that the effects of the food system on the climate and the climate on the food system would become “undeniable”.
“We need to have proper conversations about livelihoods and just transitions and how sectors can transform.
“When we talk about the challenges of milk and dairy in high-income countries, we must be very careful not to transpose those worries onto low-income countries, especially low-income countries where animal-based agriculture are so important.”
Sir Charles said it was possible ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, may become an important tool in addressing these challenges.
“There will be challenges in the global food system that may require foods that would be categorised as ultra-processed foods. If you think that UPFs are just the devil and can never be improved, then that is to me worrying because we will need these foods to address, for example, environmental things.”
While many contained “a lot of fat, a lot of sugar, a lot of salt” and were designed to be eaten very quickly, thus making them “energy dense” and increasing the risk of overconsumption, he said more work was needed to better understand their possible benefits as well as the harm they can cause.
Food producers had also yet to grapple with the consequences of the rise of GLP-1s – medication which mirrored our natural hormone GLP-1 to suppress appetites and regulate blood sugar levels.
Sir Charles said figures suggested about 15 percent of people in the US were using GLP-1s, and food companies like Nestlé were starting to develop products tailored to these needs.
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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/2026/02/28/country-life-an-oxford-professor-on-the-future-of-food-and-food-production/
Source: Radio New Zealand
The closure is from Broken Hutt Road and Old Faithful Road. RNZ / Marika Khabazi
The Lindis Pass/State Highway 8 has been closed and one person is seriously injured after a single-car crash.
The closure is from Broken Hutt Road and Old Faithful Road
Police said one person sustained serious injuries and was seen by ambulance services.
The Serious Crash Unit has been notified and the road is likely to be closed for a significant part of the day.
Police said motorists should consider delaying travel.
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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/2026/02/28/lindis-pass-closed-one-seriously-hurt-after-crash/
Source: Radio New Zealand
RNZ Country Life’s Mark Leishman interviewing Colin Martin at Nicol’s Blacksmith Shop Duntroon Karan Lawrence
A visit to Duntroon’s original Victorian-era blacksmith shop is a visit back in time. Nicol’s Blacksmith Shop has been around for 125 years and, while these days it is a tourist attraction, it is still a hub for the Duntroon community of 100 or so residents.
Rather than making horseshoes, today it makes metal knick knacks, pokers for outdoor fires and key rings for children’s school bags.
The ramshackle wooden structure includes the original earthen floor. There is no need for a wooden floor because that could catch fire.
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Chairperson of the Nicol’s Blacksmith Historic Trust, Jan Keeling, said the shop had been lovingly restored and rescued.
She said the community had a dozen or so volunteers who kept the tourism industry going in the town and made sure the local businesses survived.
The pay off was locals were able to have a coffee and scone all year round.
She said there was much pride among locals at managing to keep the blacksmiths, built in 1900 featuring hand-pumped bellows, in working order.
“Prior to this building, a lot of the farms had their own forge, and the blacksmith would travel around working, shoeing horses or repairing or sharpening implements.”
Master saddler and farrier Steve Smith shoeing Brook the gig horse at Nicol’s Blacksmith Shop in Duntroon Karan Lawrence
Keeling remembers when Duntroon was well off the beaten track, but that all changed about a dozen years ago.
Cyclists started arriving as the Alps To Ocean Cycle Trail added Duntroon to its list of stops.
She said the cycle trail had been a game-changer and amazing for the community.
“We have volunteers working here, creating things to sell in our little shop because the shop still runs on the smell of coal dust.”
The Duntroon Heritage Trail was created to honour the 150th anniversary of Duntroon last year.
Keeling said the smithy’s recent history was as important as its original history, with four local farmers getting together to buy it in the 1960s when they realised the building might be demolished.
With its forge, anvil and bellows, everything was in place and ready to go, but it sat there until 2005 when newcomer Mike Gray saw the potential and formed a trust.
It found a well-known restoration builder, Dave Barkman, who offered to come and live in Duntroon for a year. He literally pulled it to bits and rebuilt it like a jigsaw puzzle.
Judy Waterstone was the present-day chief blacksmith at Nicol’s shop with 25 years experience.
As “bellows boy” Colin Martin pointed out, the blacksmiths was predominantly run by women.
“This is quite a unique blacksmith shop. When you look around, we’ve got two lady blacksmiths with Mary an apprentice, and I’m just a bellows boy,” he said.
“And there’s a reason for that old saying about too many irons in the fire,” Waterstone added.
“Many a time I’ll try and do two pieces at once, and it’s fine as long as you keep that momentum up, but the moment you don’t, one burns, and is ruined because there’s too many irons.”
Leaving the huff and puff of the blacksmith shop, I headed over the back fence to meet Steve Smith, who, at 74 is a Master Saddler, one of only six in New Zealand.
The former freezing worker loves Clydesdale horses and decided, after having trouble finding suitable riding tack, he would try and make the harnesses and saddles himself.
So he travelled to Salisbury in the United Kingdom and learned from the best saddlers in the business.
Duntroon’s Master Sadler Steve Smith Jo Raymond
Just like a Savile Row suit-maker, Smith made each saddle to measure and it all started with a wooden tree or frame.
It was covered with heavy, bovine skirting leather, sheepskin padding and more softer leathers for the seat, skirts, and fenders or flaps.
Rather than using a sewing machine, Smith hand sews the leather onto the tree, finally stamping or carving designs into the leather and adding silver trim and stencilling his name on the flap.
Each saddle was worth around $3000 and took 50 hours to create.
Smith would like to retire.
“I’d love to be able to teach somebody, but nobody seems to be interested. For a young fellow or woman who had a bit of skill with their hands and motivation, it would be a pretty good sort of career.”
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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/country-life-duntroon-a-small-town-with-a-big-sense-of-history/
Source: New Zealand Government
Transport Minister Chris Bishop says a newly completed roundabout at the intersection of State Highway 5 (SH5) and State Highway 28–Harwoods Road east of Tīrau will significantly improve safety on a key regional route.
“The SH5/SH28 Harwoods Road intersection had a poor safety record and is part of a corridor that has seen far too many serious crashes. Completing this new three-leg roundabout is an important step in making this stretch of highway safer for everyone who uses it,” Mr Bishop says.
“SH5 is a critical route for locals, tourists, freight, and agricultural vehicles travelling between Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. Improving safety and efficiency on this corridor is essential, and I am pleased to see another project delivered that helps achieve that.
““Between 2014 and 2024, 18 people died and 64 were seriously injured on this stretch of highway.
“Construction of the $6 million roundabout began in August last year, and I am pleased to see it completed on budget and several weeks ahead of schedule. Traffic was flowing through the site today, with temporary speed restrictions lifted as works were cleared.
“This roundabout is one of several safety improvements being delivered along SH5 between Tīrau and Tārukenga Marae Road on the Rotorua side of the Mamaku Range. NZTA has also built a right‑turn bay at nearby Waimakariri Road, and funding has been allocated to complete the design for a similar roundabout at the SH5/SH28–Whites Road intersection. While construction funding for that project has not yet been confirmed, design work ensures it is ready to progress when funding allows.
“We are also making SH5 safer by widening sections of the road to allow the use of wide centrelines, which have proven to be very effective in reducing crashes. The first section east of Whites Road was completed this summer and will be extended to Harwoods Road as funding allows.
“In addition, a section of SH28–Whites Road south of the SH5 intersection is currently being rebuilt, and the intersection itself will receive a new asphalt surface.
“I also want to thank the local MP Tim van de Molen, and other community leaders for their continued strong advocacy for this important project.
“Delivering practical safety improvements like this roundabout helps save lives and ensures the state highway network continues to support regional growth, tourism, and reliable freight connections. I am pleased to see this project completed and making a difference for road users.”
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/28/harwoods-roundabout-completed/
Source: New Zealand Police
Lindis Pass/State Highway 8 is closed from Broken Hutt Road and Old Faithful Road following a single-car crash.
One person sustained serious injuries and was seen by ambulance services.
The Serious Crash Unit has been notified.
The road is likely to be closed for a significant part of the day. Motorists should consider delaying travel.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/lindis-pass-closed-central-otago/
Source: Radio New Zealand
A bumper crowd brimming with colour and sparkles has descended on Hagley Park in Christchurch for the first day of the Electric Avenue music festival.
Split Enz leads a star studded line-up for Australasia’s biggest music festival this weekend.
Now in its 11th year, Electric Avenue has returned on an unprecedented scale, with 90,000 tickets sold to the $20 million two-day event.
Checkpoint
Haley Cron from Dunedin travels every year for the Electric Avenue festival.
Nathan Mckinnon / RNZ
“I love a festival so any chance to get dressed up I’ll do it,” Haley says. “I trashed a bedroom getting ready this morning there’s hair extensions everywhere”.
She’s most excited to see Dom Dolla and Pendulum. “I just love hanging out with everybody, meeting new people, it’s such a good vibe here.”
Angelah Rose says her red and black outfit was from a local designer.
Nathan Mckinnon / RNZ
“This is just who I am as a person. Red, black dominating, you know how it is,” Angela says.
She says the pair are seasoned vets at Electric Ave, and have only missed about one over the years.
“So many good artists it’s going to be hard to get them all in.” The pair are most excited to see Becky Hill, Kesha, Split Enz, Pendulum, and Peking Duk.
Jaz Ferguson and her crew have come to the festival in bright, colourful outfits from SHEIN.
Nathan Mckinnon / RNZ
“Really cheap to buy but very effective and bright and helpful for us to look out for each other with the pink hats,” Jaz says of their outfits.
“We have a doof stick coming which has got all our faces on it and lights for night time as well.”
Jaz says it was her and her husband’s 15th wedding anniversary today.
“I feel like it’s a really good vibe here, everyone’s quite chill. Even though there’s like 45,000 people it’s super good.”
Her crew are excited to see Pendulum, Dom Dolla, Kesha and The Streets.
Chloe Carrodus has come from Palmerston North for her hen’s party.
Nathan Mckinnon / RNZ
“We’re all mums and wives so it’s a big girl’s trip for us, we’re pumped,” she says. She and her group are adorned in sparkly silver outfits.
“I just wanted to wear something like out the gate and sparkly and bridey so here we are,” she says.
Chloe got her outfit from The London EDITION on Instagram, and she’s most excited to see Sammy Virji perform.
“We just love to be sparkly, and sequins is the theme really, so we’re just here to have fun.”
Nathan Mckinnon / RNZ
Kerry and Ruth from Christchurch have been coming to Electric Avenue together for the last six years and love wearing matching outfits. They’re pumped to see The Streets. Becky Hill, and Dom Dolla.
Bright and colourful is the theme of Anne Thorby and her crew’s outfits.
RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon
“The crowns light up at night. We love bright colours, we love festivals we love dressing up it’s so fun. We all got the same outfit and here we are.”
RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon
This group have gone for a “cowgirl” theme for their outfits, which have come from SHEIN and Warehouse Stationary.
They’ve come from Dunedin and Christchurch and are excited to see as many artists as they can, but most of all Kesha.
Michelle (middle of the group) has come from the Far North.
RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon
Michelle says the bright yellow outfits came from op shops and Kmart. They can’t wait to see Sammy Virji, Dom Dolla, Becky Hill and Pendulum perform.
Mason has been to Electric Avenue five times now and is a “big fan of the vibe”.
RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon
Mason has been to Electric Avenue five times now and is a “big fan of the vibe”.
Their colourful outfits came from Temu. He’s excited to see The Streets, Becky Hill and Dom Dolla.
Khan Bell’s first year at Electric Avenue has gone “brilliantly so far”. He has travelled from Tauranga with his partner.
RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon
“We’ve had a good trip down here, Christchurch has been great hospitality. It was cold this morning so I’m glad the sun’s out so I can bring the fun out.”
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/27/i-trashed-a-bedroom-getting-ready-the-shimmer-and-shine-of-electric-avenue-outfits/
Source: Radio New Zealand
As climate change threatens cacao plantations, chocolate manufacturers are investigating “cacao-free pathways” to meet global demand.
Currently, the best options are chocolatey products either grown in labs or produced from fermented plants, according to new research by New Zealand’s Rabobank. But connoisseurs won’t find their taste an exact match, warns research analyst Paul Joules.
“It can be close. But obviously, those who have very specific taste buds will know exactly what they’re looking for, and it probably won’t be exactly that,” he tells RNZ’s Nine to Noon.
Because it only grows close to the equator, cacao is “a very volatile crop”, says Paul Joules.
Pablo Merchan Montes / Unsplash
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/cacao-free-chocolate-is-in-the-pipeline-but-it-wont-taste-the-same/
Source: Radio New Zealand
It was just a “weekend wānanga” but an artists hui in Te Kaha in 1973 ushered in Ngā Puna Waihanga, the Maori artists and writers collective and drove a revolution that shaped the renaissance of Māori culture.
It makes a fitting starting point for new RNZ podcast Pūtātara: Revolutions in Māori Art, produced by Jamie Tahana and Matariki Williams and funded via the Creative New Zealand, NZ On Air and RNZ arts and culture podcast co-fund.
“Actually, so many of our revolutions, because it’s in the title there, start in small communities like Te Kaha. It was a bunch of concerned artists and writers who just decided to have a get together,” producer Jamie Tahana told Māpuna host Julian Wilcox.
Pūtātara: Revolutions in Māori Art podcast hosts Matariki Williams and Jamie Tahana.
Taylor Galmiche/RNZ
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/how-a-weekend-wananga-kickstarted-the-maori-art-revolution/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Bryan Johnson, the billionaire biohacker, stands next to his son. He has reportedly infused blood plasma from his then-17-year-old son in an effort to live longer. Bryan Johnson
The numbers on old age are only going in one direction, fuelling a global longevity industry worth billions of dollars as people search for more and more extreme ways to live longer.
“We are now realising that there are as many people over 85 as there are under 14,” says Dr Ngaire Kerse, GP and University of Auckland’s Joyce Cook Chair in Ageing Well.
“In the over-65 age group, it’s heading for one in five. So, older people are more prevalent and they’re more obvious and we have a very ageist society. Of course we want to avoid those negative stereotypes of ageing and we want to be the healthy, positive older person.”
But at the extreme end of obsession, people are paying tens of thousands of dollars or more for intense intervention from experts like Dr Peter Attia, a star of longevity medicine who has a best-selling book, a podcast with millions of followers and charges patients six figures.
Now there’s a backlash against Attia because of the content of his damning email exchanges with Jeffery Epstein. Attia has denied any criminal wrongdoing but apologised for the content of his “embarrassing, tasteless, and indefensible emails”.
It’s not just Attia and the Epstein link. There’s been a growing wave of distrust in the messaging of many longevity influencers lately, including the likes of Bryan Johnson, the billionaire biohacker who wants to live forever.
He is reported to have chosen three people from 1500 who applied for his Immortals programme. The three are paying $1 million for access to the “longevity protocols” that he’s been following for the past five years.
Johnson’s pursuit of eternal life has included a plasma exchange between his teenage son, himself and his 70-year-old father.
But even Elon Musk, who declared at Davos that there will be a cure for old age, says there is a limit on our lives.
Kerse agrees and has the statistics to back that up.
“I don’t actually want to be 150. I almost have seen enough now,” she jokes.
“It’s challenging to me to think that people would want to live forever, you know, [to] 200 years. And there’s several novels written about what that might be like, challenging whether it’s a good thing or not.”
She says there’s a biological end point at 110 years, when “our cells run out of puff”.
“The maintenance and repair mechanisms don’t work any more and so they get clogged up with stuff and you get diseases that are associated with ageing.
“We’re pushing up against being healthy for as long as you can. It’s ideal to live a fulfilled and healthy and contributing life and then drop dead. Wouldn’t that be lovely.”
Kerse is more concerned with finding ways to make lives better for all old people. She has co-led a world-leading longitudinal study, called Life and Living in Advanced Age, which started in 2010 with groups of Māori and non-Māori born between 1920 and 1930.
Hundreds of people in the cohort were interviewed about their lives every year for five years and again at 10 years.
“Now we’re at 15, 16 years follow-up, most of them are gone of course, because they’d be over 100.”
Kerse sets out the study’s findings and the factors behind participants’ long, healthy lives in today’s podcast.
The Detail also talks to 89-year-old Garth Barfoot of the real estate dynasty about his passion for running and what keeps him healthy, happy and alert.
In 2024 he was the oldest runner to finish the New York Marathon and still takes part in events with his grandchildren.
Listen to the podcast to find out what he believes is the main reason for living long and well.
Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.
You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
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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/2026/02/28/live-long-and-prosper-then-live-longer/
Source: Radio New Zealand
An Oriental fruit fly on a piece of fruit. Supplied / Biosecurity NZ
No more fruit flies have been spotted in Papatoetoe after a single male was found in a surveillance trap in the South Auckland suburb on Wednesday.
The new find comes as Biosecurity just wrapped up a six-week operation in Mount Roskill after a single male was found there.
Biosecurity Commissioner Mike Inglis said they had laid 114 additional traps in Papatoetoe since the latest fruit fly discovery, but there had not been further signs of the pest.
“At this stage, it’s just one single male fruit fly in that trap, so these additional traps are very important.
“These traps are very effective for the Oriental fruit fly; they attract the males extremely well.
“We have evidence of that from when we’ve dealt with this before, including about this time last year in Papatoetoe and the North Shore.”
He said biosecurity staff would be collecting fruit from residents for inspection this weekend.
“We’ve already collected some fruit. We’ll also be visiting high-risk businesses and talking to shopkeepers, and our team will be at local night markets providing flyers and information.
“We know from previous years that by getting in early, engaging the community, and putting controls in place, we’ll make sure it doesn’t impact the community too much and that this pest isn’t established.”
Legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables affecting roughly 10,000 properties would remain in place while Biosecurity investigated whether any more fruit flies could be hidden.
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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/2026/02/28/no-further-fruit-flies-spotted-in-papatoetoe-in-auckland/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Wellington Mayor Andrew Little took a dip in Lyall Bay on Wednesday to prove it was safe, but by Friday the Land Air Water Aotearoa (LAWA) website listed much of the south coast as being unsuitable for swimming. RNZ / Mark Papalii
The chair of Lyall Bay Surf Lifesaving club says despite the partial lifting of a rahui on Wellington’s South Coast information on offshore conditions remains unavailable.
Mayor Andrew Little took a dip in the water on Wednesday to prove residents could swim again at southern beaches after a major sewage leak at the Moa Point Wastewater Plant earlier this month pumped thousands of litres of raw sewage into the sea, closing the beaches for weeks.
He did however caveat that people should follow advice on the Land, Air, Water Aotearoa website before they dive in.
Club chair Matt Flannery said he was delighted that lifesaving teams could resume training in the bay but said ocean swimmers, kayakers and divers were still in the dark.
“The LAWA website, unfortunately, doesn’t include tests beyond the shoreline. That’s probably okay when you’re looking at shoreline discharges from stormwater drains and contaminations but it’s inappropriate when your dealing with an ocean outfall that has the potential to be coming back into the bay,” Flannery said.
“We’ve had to already make some decisions as to the limits that we feel acceptable in the bay but we would truly benefit from the experts stepping up here and giving guidance.”
Flannery said the club’s teams had been training at swim spots within the harbour ahead of the upcoming national championships next month.
He said prior to the spill nearly 70 lifesavers a day were training in the waters off Lyall Bay.
“We’ve shuffled our training around to be using locations such as Scorching Bay, Worser Bay and Evans Bay [and] we’re delighted to have access back on the beach – that’s the most important thing – but we’d just like a bit more information to reflect actually what’s going on in the bay.
“I think it’s a little bit unfair in the sense that they put the risk back on the other users, declare the beach open, without actually giving all the information that’s necessary to make an informed decision,” Flannery said.
Flannery said he raised the point at a local meeting with councillors, experts and Wellington Water staff last week.
Greater Wellington director knowledge and insights David Hipkins said the advice on the LAWA website only reflected public health advice for near shore activities.
“All samples have been taken close to the shore and not near the end of the long outfall pipe. This is why the advice from public health officials is that activities further from the shore are ‘to be conducted at people’s own risk’.”
He said the regional council was talking to the Department of Conservation and other research agencies about any additional monitoring that may be required further out to sea.
The LAWA website also advises people not to collect any kai moana from the area previously under the rahui.
“Testing of kai moana is not being undertaken by Greater Wellington and we are referring the public to advice from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), the agency responsible for the safety of food gathered from the wild,” Hipkins said.
“MPI recommends not gathering shellfish from densely populated urban areas, areas near pipes or culverts, areas near to where wastewater or stormwater is being discharged, and to wait a few days after heavy rain before gathering shellfish.”
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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/2026/02/28/plea-for-information-on-offshore-water-quality-on-wellingtons-south-coast-after-sewage-spill/
Source: Media Outreach
DENPASAR, BALI – Media OutReach Newswire – 27 February 2026 – Green SM has launched its operations in Bali through a strategic partnership with Taksi Komotra, introducing an all-electric taxi service to support the island’s sustainable tourism and urban mobility agenda. To celebrate the 238th anniversary of Denpasar City, Green SM is offering a limited-time 25 percent fare promotion, with discounts of up to IDR 238,000 per trip.
Green SM’s professional drivers are ready to provide high-quality, safe, and eco-friendly service.
Under the partnership structure, Green SM provides the technology platform, all-electric vehicle fleet, operational standards, and driver development system, while Taksi Komotra contributes its established local expertise and network across Bali. The collaboration integrates electric mobility technology with on-the-ground operational capabilities to deliver a scalable, governance-driven transportation model.
Operations in Bali are implemented under Green SM’s “5 Green Promises” service commitment framework. Established as a foundational operating standard since the company’s inception, the framework ensures that each ride delivers an excellent customer experience, professional drivers, high-quality and safe vehicles, fair and transparent pricing, and a meaningful contribution to environmental sustainability.
The service operates an all-electric fleet that produces no exhaust emissions or fuel combustion. All vehicles are maintained under strict technical and safety protocols to ensure consistent service performance while contributing to cleaner air and quieter urban environments.
A central pillar of the launch is the Green SM Driver ecosystem. Drivers are positioned as professional green mobility ambassadors guided by five core values: Respect, Professionalism, Dedication, Discipline, and Competitive Income with Stable Career Pathways. Structured training, transparent earnings mechanisms, and disciplined service governance aim to elevate driving into a respected profession while maintaining safety and reliability as foundational standards. This framework aligns income stability with environmental responsibility, reinforcing the role of drivers in supporting Bali’s sustainable tourism trajectory.
The launch comes amid rising mobility demand driven by tourism growth and daily transportation needs across the island. The Indonesia Tourism Outlook 2025 report notes a sustained shift toward environmentally responsible travel, underscoring the relevance of electric mobility in long-term development planning. According to projections from Indonesia’s National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), green employment nationwide is expected to reach 4.8-5.3 million by 2029, reflecting the broader economic potential of sustainable industries.
Mr. Deny Tjia – Green SM Indonesia Managing Director (third from left), Mr H. Hasbi – Chairman of Komotra Taxi Bali (second from left), along with representatives from government agencies at the launch ceremony.
Mr. Deny Tjia, Managing Director of Green SM Indonesia, said: “The partnership with Taksi Komotra reflects our long-term commitment to building a high-quality, well-governed mobility ecosystem in Indonesia. By combining electric vehicles with professional driver development and clear operational standards, we aim to support Bali’s sustainable tourism ambitions while delivering safe, reliable, and comfortable rides for the community.”
H. Hasbi, Chairman of Koperasi Komotra, said: “We are proud to partner with Green SM to introduce electric taxis in Bali. Electric mobility will become part of the new standard for tourism and daily transportation on the island, and this collaboration helps us better serve local residents and visitors while preparing for the future of sustainable transport.”
The Bali launch marks another strategic milestone in Green SM’s expansion in Indonesia, following earlier operations in key markets including Jakarta, Makassar, Bekasi, and Surabaya. In these cities, the service has been positively received by local residents and international visitors alike, who value its clean electric fleet, professional drivers, and structured safety standards that enhance travel confidence.
With its growing presence across the country, Green SM continues to build a scalable electric mobility ecosystem that balances environmental responsibility, service excellence, and inclusive economic growth.
Hashtag: #GreenSM
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/2026/02/28/green-sm-launches-all-electric-taxi-service-in-bali-with-taksi-komotra/
Source: Media Outreach
NANJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 27 February 2026 – Since 1980, when the Metropolitan Museum of Art opened “Ming Xuan” modeled after Dianchun Yi of Suzhou’s Master of the Nets Garden, Suzhou gardens have taken root in more than 30 countries and regions. As the Chinese New Year arrives, these gardens have launched Spring Festival celebrations, sharing festive joy and cultural traditions with visitors from around the world.
Kunqu Performing Art in the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Sydney
On Feb. 6, the China Cultural Center in Budapest hosted the “Galloping into the Spring Festival in the Garden” event. Audiences marveled at Kung Fu tea performances, where tea masters skillfully poured water from long-spouted copper kettles in graceful arcs. Artisans demonstrated traditional sugar painting and dough figurine crafting, drawing crowds of curious children, while opera performers in elaborate costumes captivated visitors with refined singing and elegant movements.
Beginning Feb. 17, the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland launched a series of celebrations, including a ceremony to welcome the God of Wealth, a zodiac handover ceremony, lantern fairs, and dragon and lion dance performances. The garden was adorned with red lanterns and Spring Festival decorations, while Taohuawu woodblock New Year prints, silk scarves, and other cultural creative products were displayed throughout the venue. Interactive experiences such as lantern-making, Year of the Horse paper-cutting, and themed stamp-collecting sites invited visitors to take home New Year blessings.
In Vancouver, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden — North America’s first full-scale classical Suzhou-style garden — marked its upcoming 40th anniversary in 2026 with festive events on Feb. 21 and 22. Gifts from its sister garden, the Humble Administrator’s Garden, added to the celebratory atmosphere. Activities included calligraphy workshops, sugar painting demonstrations, rice cake tastings, and lion dance performances, drawing local families and visitors alike.
Tourists experience the Kunqu Performing Art in the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Sydney
On Feb. 23, the Spring Festival event was also held at the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Sydney, which maintains close cooperation with the Humble Administrator’s Garden in garden conservation and cultural exchange. Kunqu opera artist Wang Yueli performed an excerpt from The Peony Pavilion and guided audience members in learning basic movements and gestures. Visitors also viewed documentaries highlighting Suzhou’s intangible cultural heritage and classical gardens, further appreciating the refined elegance of Jiangnan culture.
From Budapest to Portland, from Vancouver to Sydney, Spring Festival celebrations in Chinese gardens worldwide have integrated “gardens to be seen” “opera to be heard” and “cultural creations to be taken home.” Together, they present a vivid portrait of Suzhou culture, attracting tens of thousands of local residents and tourists to celebrate a Chinese New Year filled with Eastern charm.
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/2026/02/28/experiencing-an-authentic-chinese-new-year-in-chinese-gardens-around-the-world/
Source: Media Outreach
VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 27 February 2026 – A high-level cultural delegation from Wuxi, China’s renowned “Home of Erhu,” has completed a landmark two-week musical tour across Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Featuring an over 80-member ensemble from the Wuxi Cultural Exchange Group, the tour represents the city’s most significant international outreach since it was designated a UNESCO Creative City of Music in 2025.
Caption: A standing ovation for the Wuxi Cultural Exchange Group at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.
Launched on February 14, the “Chinese Folk Music Odyssey” featured seven major concerts alongside a series of academic and grassroots cultural exchanges. The tour served as a high-level dialogue between the traditional heritage of China’s Jiangnan region and the classical musical heartlands of Europe.
The tour opened at the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels, where a capacity crowd of 2,000 experienced the vibrant Spring Festival Overture. The ensemble presented a “Chinese Music Feast,” using traditional instruments to paint an auditory “Jiangnan Scroll” of southern Chinese life. In a poignant finale, Chinese fiddles joined forces with local keyed violins to perform the classic Horse Racing. The fusion of Eastern and Western strings brought tears to the eyes of the Chinese diaspora and earned standing ovations from local attendees.
“The melodies possess both natural charm and profound cultural heritage,” noted Belgian music critic Philippe, following six curtain calls. “It is a truly borderless musical exchange.”
Beyond the concert halls, the group engaged with European pop culture in the heart of Brussels’ Comic Strip district. A “flash mob” titled Tintin’s Encounter with Jiangnan Music saw musicians performing alongside iconic murals of Tintin, engaging local youth and residents through social media-friendly cultural interaction.
Caption: Local residents experienced traditional Chinese instruments at the street event.
The journey continued through Germany’s elite venues, including Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie and the Tonhalle Düsseldorf, showcasing the technical precision of Chinese folk orchestration. In the Austrian Tyrol, the tour took an improvisational turn as Wuxi musicians performed alongside local artists against the backdrop of the Alps, a live demonstration of the “beauty without borders”.
The tour concluded on February 26 in Vienna, where the ensemble hosted the “Dreamy Jiangnan” cultural salon at the Wiener Konzerthaus. The event paired musical performances with an interactive exhibition of Wuxi’s intangible cultural heritage, featuring traditional embroidery and clay figurines. The delegation also visited the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna for the “Jiangnan Charm, Harmonious Resonance” China-Austria Music Exchange event. Through a series of academic dialogues with faculty and students, both sides engaged in a meaningful cultural encounter. These interactions went beyond simple performances, significantly deepening mutual understanding and strengthening the musical ties between East and West.
By integrating the “Voice of China” into the “World Symphony,” the Wuxi Cultural Exchange Group has opened a new chapter in Wuxi’s enduring musical engagement with the world.
Hashtag: #WuxiInformationOffice
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/2026/02/28/wuxi-the-newest-unesco-city-of-music-charms-europe-with-2026-folk-tour/