Category: Latin America

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Opening address at Annual Immigration Law Conference

Source: New Zealand Government

Tēnā koutou katoa, thank you for inviting me to join you at the Immigration Law Symposium.

It’s a privilege to be here today and speak about the work we’ve delivered in the immigration portfolio over the last two years.

I want to acknowledge and thank you all for your contributions. As immigration professionals, you play a critical role in the system, helping deliver real benefits for New Zealand.

Immigration is integral to New Zealand’s prosperity. It supports this Government’s Going‑for‑Growth objectives, enables businesses to access the skills they need to compete globally, and enriches our communities. 

This Government has focused on making the immigration system smarter, faster, and fairer – attractive to talented people, one that prioritises New Zealanders for jobs, is workable for employers, and with the integrity New Zealanders expect.

Today I will talk about the importance of immigration for our economy and our society, and highlight some of the changes we have made so that the system is attracting talent, while managing risk.

I will also be announcing some proposed new changes to be incorporated into the Immigration (Enhanced Risk and Management) Amendment Bill that will be introduced this afternoon. These are to ensure our settings are working for New Zealanders. That means we can respond more effectively to non-compliance, hold people to account when they break the rules, and maintain public confidence in the integrity of the system. 

The importance of immigration to New Zealand’s success

Immigration is critical to New Zealand, and New Zealanders, success. Put quite simply, without immigration, New Zealand cannot thrive, grow, or deliver the aspirations that we have for future generations. 

New Zealand is now a multi-cultural society. Many of you in this room will be migrants or the child of migrants. People who came to New Zealand with a dream for a better life for themselves and their family, who have worked hard, and who contribute to the richness of our multicultural fabric.

Many migrants are fiercely proud, and protective, of the sacrifices they have made to call New Zealand home. Whether that’s pursuing higher education, growing their skills and experience so they can meet residence requirements, or working multiple jobs to be able to support family back in their homeland.   

Others have come to us through humanitarian or family reunification pathways. Feeling persecution or conflict at home, often coming to New Zealand with nothing other than determination to learn a new language and build a new life in a place they would not have necessarily have chosen if things had been different. Or leaving an established home to join with family settled here, for the privilege of watching grandchildren grow up and being part of their day to day lives rather than a face over an iPad or a phone that visits infrequently. 

Smart, targeted, and fair immigration settings makes New Zealand richer in every possible way.

I know that there are those with some concerns about immigration. I see it in the emails that come into my office, in some of the conversations that I have in the community, and in some of the broader public conversation that has been occurring. 

And my answer is you were right to be, and so was I.

As many of you will know, when I because the Minister in late 2023, net migration was running hot as an unsustainable 130,000 per year. This was on top of the over 230,000 people who had been granted residence as part of RV21. 

This was creating challenges across the system – from health, to education, to infrastructure. Many schools were overwhelmed with students with no or little English and high levels of additional learning needs. 

The previous Government was overwhelmed with demand when the borders re-opened in mid-2022 from employers who had been unable to access the international market for skills and talent for over two years. 

And in the rush to let that talent in some unfortunate shortcuts and decisions were made contributing to migrant exploitation, people coming to New Zealand for jobs without relevant skills or experience, wage inflation driven by median wage requirements, and people who were unable to succeed in New Zealand because they had no or little English.  

At the same time our post-COVID economic situation was deteriorating with New Zealanders losing jobs as workforces were downsized or, in some instances, disbanded.

It was immediately apparent to me that we needed to take urgent steps to tighten the settings, address migrant exploitation, prevent the erosion of the social licence for immigration and re-balance our approach to risk and verification. 

However, at the same time, we also had to continue to facilitate businesses being able to access overseas skills and experience where they genuinely could not recruit a suitable New Zealander, especially in skill shortage areas.

Some of the decisions I took through 2024 were difficult, all of them were necessary. Introducing minimum English language requirements for lower skilled roles, minimum relevant experience, no longer allowing partner work rights or domestic student status for the children of lower skilled workers, holding the line on the three year maximum continuous stay for lower skilled roles, continuing to require IELTS 6.5 or equivalent for the skilled migrant pathway, checks to ensure that employers are genuinely engaging with MSD, removing the median wage requirements to address wage inflation and the disadvantaging of New Zealand workers, lifting the bar on acceptable standards of health requirements for AEWV so that people don’t build a life here only to discover when they apply for residence that they aren’t eligible because a family member is not ASH and others.

At the same time, we know that the skilled migrant settings introduced by the previous Government were disconnected from the reality of many of the people that we wanted New Zealand to be attractive to – especially skilled trades and technicians. People without a degree, or in a registered occupation, or earning 1.5x the median wage but who were critical to our businesses and regions succeeding. That drove our changes to the Skilled Migrant Category that will be coming in in August. Two new pathways for people we desperately want to remain in New Zealand but who otherwise would have left. 

Our focus on smart and fit for purpose immigration system has not just meant significant changes for the accredited employer work visa and skilled migrant visa, we also made hugely successful changes to the Active Investor Plus visa, introduced two new seasonal visas, the Parent Boost visa, the business investor visa, and late this year will introduce a new short term graduate work visa for people doing Level 5-7 courses that do not currently qualify for post-study work rights. 

Alongside this, Immigration New Zealand has done an enormous amount of work to be both facilitative to genuine employers with real need, while strengthening their risk and verification processes.

The world is an unstable and uncertain place and the push factors out of some countries for people desperate to make a life for themselves somewhere else are significant. This means that Immigration New Zealand sits right at the often challenging intersection of needing to facilitate genuine migrants while adapting to new and innovative ways that desperate people try get around the checks and balances that protect New Zealand.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of Alison McDonald, the head of Immigration New Zealand, who will shortly be retiring, for the incredible work that she has led over the last two and a half years. It is no easy thing to have a Minister who wants you to be faster and better and more engaged with the sector, while not compromising on quality, who is also either changing visa settings on you or introducing new ones every other month. 

Alison and her operational team, alongside the policy team in MBIE, have done an exceptional job the last two years. 

I would also like to thank David Cooper, who has chaired my Immigration Advisor Reference group, made up of six immigration advisors, including the Chair of NZAMI, who have voluntarily given their time and expertise to provide feedback on what is working and what isn’t, sense check changes, and even be in the detail of draft immigration instructions to make sure they are fit for purpose and will achieve the intended policy objective.

To those with concerns and reservations about immigration, I hear you and I have shared some of those concerns.  

When I became Minister we had 60 percent of the people coming in on work visas were lower skilled roles, and only 40% on mid or higher skilled roles. Today that has flipped and then some with currently over 70% of work visas for mid-high skilled roles and only 30 percent for lower skilled roles. 

We have held the line on people needing to leave New Zealand when their maximum continuous stay comes up so that the labour market can be re-tested to see if there is a New Zealander available for the job and we are unapologetic about the fact that a level of English is a requirement, not a nice to have;

We have also welcomed over 43,000 people have been granted residence under the Green List Sraight to Residence and Work to Residence pathways in high demand skilled shortage areas.  Doctors, engineers, early childhood, primary and secondary school teachers, mechanics, electricians, construction managers and many others.

Our schools, our hospitals, our infrastructure, our primary industries, and our businesses would literally not be able to function without immigration. Immigration isn’t a nameless faceless imposition, it’s

The nurse from the South Africa triaging your child late on a Friday night at after hours, the technician from India restoring communications after a storm the Filipino dairy farm worker out in the cow shed at 4am in rural Southland, the Italian engineer helping to deliver a major roading project, the French Senior Cellar Hand turning your favourite grape into your Friday evening drink, and yes, the cleaner from Brazil vacuuming an office block late at night because the cleaning company hasn’t been able to find a willing New Zealander.  

Is the system perfect? No, and it never will be. There will always be opportunities for improvement, decisions that need to be revisited or recalibrated, and more to be done. But I can say with absolute conviction that we are in a lot stronger position and New Zealanders can have a lot more confidence in the operation and integrity of the immigration system than two years ago. 

The privilege of migration comes with responsibility  

As may of you know, the Immigration (Fiscal Sustainability and System Integrity) Amendment Act received Royal assent late last year. 

The amendments represent a significant step forward in ensuring our immigration system is fair, future-focused, and fit for purpose.  

Many of you here today provided feedback on the Amendment Act during its development or provided valuable submissions as part of the Select Committee process. Thank you for your input.

It is now an offence to charge a premium for employment. This is one of many changes we have made to stamp out migrant exploitation.

The Amendment Act also means that when someone pleads guilty or is found guilty of a criminal offence, this able to be considered by the immigration system in resident deportation liability decisions even if the migrant is discharged without conviction.

I want to touch on this one for a moment because it was one that I received some push back on. Some accused me of overreaching into the justice system, others that this would cause stress for migrants, yet others told me it would overwhelm Immigration New Zealand’s case management process because of the number of people who now may be subject to liability for deportation.

I want to be very clear on this. Residence in New Zealand is a privilege, it is not a right, and it comes with responsibilities. In some parts of New Zealand it was becoming the norm that migrants were getting discharged without conviction for criminal offending because it could trigger deportation liability while a New Zealander was convicted of the same crime because there was no possibility of deportation. This was unfair and unjust.

If a migrant would like to avoid stress in their life them my advice to them is very clear. Don’t drink and drive, don’t indecently assault children, don’t beat up your pregnant partner or do anything else that might lead to deportation liability.

And if this change leads to more volumes of cases and deportations that have to be managed by Immigration New Zealand then we will increase the resourcing for those teams.

There is nothing that will erode the social licence for immigration than a sense that people are coming to New Zealand, abusing our hospitality and the privilege it is to be granted residence by criminal offending, and not facing the appropriate consequences for it. 

It is in that vein that I want to talk about the Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill and a Parliamentary paper that will be introduced to Parliament.

The Bill aims to increase the effectiveness of immigration compliance and enforcement; improve the integrity of the refugee and protection system; and improve the operation of the wider immigration system.  Many of you will know some of the amendments in the Bill after I announced some late last year after policy decisions were taken.

First, the Bill proposes to extend the period during which a residence visa holder may become liable for deportation following criminal offending – from 10 to 20 years.

New Zealand has one of the more lenient criminal deportation liability regimes. Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland all make residents liable for deportation indefinitely, including for relatively minor convictions. 

As proposed, deportation liability would continue to be scaled according to the seriousness of offending and the length of time a person has held residence. But longer-term residents who commit very serious offences will no longer evade deportation liability.

Two recent examples of migrants who committed serious crimes and cannot under the existing law be deported because they have been resident for more than ten years are:

  • the Australian Jaz brothers sentenced to 17 years’ and 16.5 years’ imprisonment, respectively, for serious sexual offending. As resident visa holders for more than 10 years, they will not be liable for deportation upon release.
  • and, in 2023, an individual was convicted of serious sex offences. He was not liable for deportation because he had held a resident visa for more than 10 years even though between 2014 and 2017, he committed lower‑level offences that made him liable for deportation; at the time, his liability was suspended because he had a New Zealand partner.

This change makes it clear that serious criminal offending will have serious consequences for resident visa holders.

The Bill also clarifies existing deportation liability settings.

It strengthens the consequences for migrants providing false or misleading information at any stage of the immigration process, making it clear that this could trigger deportation liability; 

It also clarifies that serious historical offending committed overseas before a person holds a New Zealand visa can give rise to deportation liability. 

The Bill also removes humanitarian appeal rights to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal for all visitor visa holders, and for temporary visa holders who are liable for deportation because of criminal offending. This recognises the different status and expectations of temporary versus resident migrants. It supports timely deportation action where appropriate and reinforces New Zealanders’ expectations that people in our country respect the law.

The Bill increases the maximum penalty for migrant exploitation to ten years’ imprisonment, better reflecting the harm that exploitation causes. 

It also extends the practical timeframe for MBIE to issue employer infringement notices to six years after the offending. This is because exploited migrants often do not report their employer until after the employment relationship has broken down, and some more complex investigations can take longer to complete. 

The Bill also establishes two new employer-focused infringement offences: 

  • for providing incorrect or incomplete information (for example in an accreditation or job check application), and
  • failing to provide wage and time record documents when requested. 

These changes will expand the range of tools available to address non-compliant employer behaviour. 

To improve the effectiveness of immigration compliance activity, the Bill also adjusts the threshold under which Immigration Officers can request basic identity information to people who may be liable for deportation or turnaround or may be in breach of their visa conditions. 

This change will make an existing power workable, supporting enhanced compliance outcomes.  I want to be very clear because there has been some untrue public commentary on this one, this will not permit broad, discretionary checks of people in public places. It certainly will not allow compliance officers to randomly stop or detain people to request their identification and then check on their immigration status without cause.  

Immigration officers will only be able to use this power when they already have a legitimate reason to be at the site or premises and they have a good cause, such as a person attempting to flee or hide, to suspect that the person might be in New Zealand unlawfully or in breach of their visa. 

If that bar is not reached, then an immigration officer will not be able to request identity information. I am sure that the Select Committee will ensure that this new provision is fit for purpose and will meet by intended objective and I look forward to their scrutiny and feedback.

Additional protection proposals in Parliamentary Paper

Like our international partners, New Zealand continues to experience large numbers of asylum claims and significant backlogs in determinations, as the world becomes more unstable and uncertain. Since the borders re-opened in 2022 there has been a significant increase in claims and there are currently over 4,000 asylum claims on hand. This is the largest number ever.  

While there are always genuine claims, there are many claims that are not meritorious. In some instances, people lodge an asylum claim in the final days of another visa, not because they will face persecution in their home country but simply because they want to remain in New Zealand and are not eligible for another visa. 

This frustrates the system, meaning that genuine claims take longer to approve and lengthening the time period that person with a non-meritorious claim remains in New Zealand. 

Resourcing and operational changes put in place in recent years have helped to improve processing, however, challenges remain.  

And so today I am announcing that I will also table a Parliamentary Paper alongside the Bill with an additional seven amendments to protect New Zealand’s protection system and over time support more efficient processing of claims so that those with genuine need are afforded protection. 

Importantly, they will serve New Zealand’s aim to tackle global challenges facing the system while affording protection to those who need it.

These most significant changes are: 

  • better managing claimants who fail to attend biometric appointments and those who act in bad faith,
  • claimants who commit serious crimes onshore before their refugee status is determined, addressing an omission in the Act relating to withdrawing claims. 

Two of the proposals relate to managing instances of bad faith. 

I am aware of cases where people take actions to deliberately engage in provocative political activity after arriving in New Zealand, such as seeking social media or media attention, in a cynical attempt to create or increase their grounds for recognition as a refugee.   

The bad faith proposals will ensure that both INZ and the Immigration Protection Tribunal have the ability to deal with cases made in bad faith as swiftly as possible, and that the benefits associated with refugee status are reserved for those who genuinely deserve them. 

They also ensure that we maintain our international obligation to not return someone to a country where they may face persecution or other serious harm.

Another proposal relates to the interpretation of Article 1F(b) of the Refugee Convention which excludes people who commit serious crimes before admission to the country of refuge from refugee status, to make sure refugee protections only go to those who genuinely deserve them. 

The proposal will broaden New Zealand’s interpretation of this obligation to exclude those who commit serious crimes after arriving onshore but before status determination from refugee status. These claimants may still be eligible for protection status where there is a genuine need. 

Although the numbers of people involve are small, the offending is serious. I know that many New Zealanders would be shocked to know, as I was, that if a person who has claimed refugee status has been convicted of a serious crime in New Zealand but before their claim has been decided Immigration New Zealand is currently unable to take that into account when determining their refugee status. 

Currently, INZ has on hand 14 refugee claims from people who have been convicted of serious offences since arriving in New Zealand, including one person convicted of murder, five for serious drug offences, three for sexual offences, four for family violence, one for arson, and one for burglary with a weapon.

The proposed amendment will ensure that people who commit crimes offshore and onshore are treated the same, sending a signal that this behaviour is not tolerated and maintaining public confidence in our refugee and protection system. 

Overall, this Bill is about further strengthening our immigration system and ensuring it is working well for both New Zealand and migrants. 

I want to acknowledge the groups who have contributed to the development of this Bill and provided feedback on the proposals. 

I welcome your feedback and suggestions through the Select Committee process.

I’m proud of what we’ve achieved in the immigration portfolio and the work we have underway to ensure the system is smarter, fairer, and better able to respond to and manage risk. 

I would like to thank you for all of your contributions over the last two years and I look forward to continuing working with you this year.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/18/opening-address-at-annual-immigration-law-conference/

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Key players missing for All White World Cup warmup games

Source: Radio New Zealand

Chris Wood of the New Zealand All Whites. © Bildbyrån Photo Agency 2025 © Photosport Ltd 2025 www.photosport.nz

All Whites coach Darren Bazeley has been unable to call on a number of key players for World Cup warmup games at home against Finland and Chile later this month.

Missing through injury are regulars Michael Boxall, Liberato Cacace, Matt Garbett, Nando Pijnaker, Sarpreet Singh, and captain Chris Wood.

However, all are set to return to play ahead of the FIFA World Cup in June and July.

There is a debut call-up for Newcastle Jets’ Lachlan Bayliss.

“These are two really important games for us as we continue building towards the World Cup, so it is great to name our squad to play in front of our home fans for the last time before the tournament,” Bazeley said.

“I want to congratulate Lachlan Bayliss on his debut All Whites call-up. He has been in great form over the last few months with Newcastle Jets, so I’m pleased to bring him in for the first time at senior level.

“We know the deadline for naming our FIFA World Cup squad is getting closer and closer, so we are pleased to be able to give opportunities to a number of players to state their case, especially with a few regulars unavailable for this window.

“Finland and Chile should be great tests for us, and we look forward to taking them on in front of all of our home fans at Eden Park.”

The FIFA Series games at Eden Park also involve Cape Verde.

85th ranked New Zealand play 75th ranked Finland on 27 March and 55th ranked Chile on 30 March.

All Whites squad:

Kosta Barbarouses (70 caps, 9 goals) Western Sydney Wanderers, Australia

Lachlan Bayliss (debut) Newcastle Jets, Australia

Joe Bell (28/1) Viking FK, Norway

Tyler Bindon (20/3) Sheffield United, England (on loan from Nottingham Forest)

Max Crocombe (19/0) Millwall, England

Andre De Jong (11/2) Orlando Pirates, South Africa

Francis De Vries (15/1) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand

Callan Elliot (7/0) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand

Eli Just (38/8) Motherwell, Scotland

Callum McCowatt (28/4) Silkeborg IF, Denmark

James McGarry (3/0) Brisbane Roar, Australia

Ben Old (18/1) AS Saint-Étienne, France

Alex Paulsen (5/0) Lechia Gdańsk, Poland (on loan from AFC Bournemouth)

Tim Payne (48/3) Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand

Jesse Randall (5/1) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand

Logan Rogerson (16/2) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand

Alex Rufer (22/0) Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand

Marko Stamenic (33/3) Swansea City, Wales

Finn Surman (13/2) Portland Timbers, USA

Ryan Thomas (23/3) PEC Zwolle, Netherlands

Bill Tuiloma (45/4) Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand

Ben Waine (26/8) Port Vale, England

Michael Woud (6/0) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/16/key-players-missing-for-all-white-world-cup-warmup-games/

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2026 Changan Global Testing Season Hits Mexico with Four New Models

Source: Media Outreach

  • Four new Changan models debuted in Mexico: CHANGAN Alsvin PLUS, CS35 MAX, new CS55 PLUS, and CS75 PLUS.
  • With responsive powertrains, intelligent safety and spacious interiors, the four models delivered proven performance and comfort.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – Media OutReach Newswire – 15 March 2026 – Changan has launched four all-new upgraded models in Mexico—the CHANGAN ALSVIN PLUS sedan and three SUVs: the CS35 MAX, CS55 PLUS, and CS75 PLUS—responding to growing market demand for vehicles that integrate technology and efficiency.

Following the launch, more than 150 dealers, investors, and media had a 287-km test drive across Yucatán Peninsula as part of the 2026 Changan Global Testing Season. The route, from Cancún to Playa del Carmen via Chiquilá and Holbox, spanned highways, coastal roads, and rural paths, where stability, intelligence, safety, and long-distance comfort were proven.

Performance Meets Comfort: New Models for Every Journey

Powered by the BlueCore 3.0 engine and 7-speed DCT, the new CHANGAN CS55 PLUS delivered responsive performance across the route. Its Ark Cage body structure combined with 12 intelligent safety features, including IACC, LCC, FCW, and AEB, and 540° camera assist, provided reassuring protection on the rugged and windy jungle roads and coastal highways.

The ADAS system was also integrated into the CS75 PLUS to reduce driver fatigue, while the 37-inch triple-screen display provided easy access to navigation and entertainment. The ventilated front seats ensured comfort in temperatures exceeding 30°C, and the zero-gravity passenger seat enhanced relaxation with a massage function during extended drives.

All four models feature multi-screen smart cockpits with wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, voice control, OTA updates, and remote app control. Spacious interiors and the BlueCore 3.0 powertrain system also extend to the Alsvin PLUS and CS35 MAX, delivering a blend of performance and comfort.

Growth in Action: Changan’s Local Commitment to Mexico

In 2025, Changan achieved over 56% sales growth in Latin America, with Mexico growing 184%. In terms of local operations, a new 8,000+ m² parts warehouse, operational in early 2026, will further enhance service capacity and parts supply. Mexico has become increasingly central to Changan’s global footprint.

This commitment was on full display in Yucatán. The route captured the country’s iconic landscapes while reflecting real-world driving conditions: unpredictable weather and varied terrain. Changan’s expanded portfolio reaffirms its dedication to delivering products that combine global innovation with local needs.

Hashtag: #Changan

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/2026/03/15/2026-changan-global-testing-season-hits-mexico-with-four-new-models/

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Tall Ferns go down to Senegal

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tall Ferns head coach Natalie Hurst, at the the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico, March 2026 EDGARDO MEDINA

The struggles have continued for the Tall Ferns at the 2026 FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico, going down to African nation, Senegal, in their latest match 61-45.

New Zealand only lead on one occasion, and that was when Bec Pizzey nailed a lay-up to score the opening points of the contest.

And while Senegal couldn’t convert their scoring opportunities in the first two and half minutes, once Victorine Thiaw dropped a step-back three-pointer, Senegal were never headed for the rest of the game.

By the end of the first quarter, Senegal had stretched their lead to four points (14-10), and then to five (29-24) at halftime.

But it was in the third quarter where they really moved clear, outscoring New Zealand 23-9, to head into the final quarter 52-33 ahead.

And while the Tall Ferns managed to win the final quarter by three points, it was still a decisive win for Senegal, who had two players hitting double figures, Yacine Diop (13) and Saokhna Ndiaye (10).

Ella Toefaeono ended top scorer for New Zealand with 10 points, while she also contributed three assists and two blocks.

Pizzey finished with nine points and five rebounds, with Tegan Graham securing the same numbers.

Emme Shearer was the Tall Ferns leading rebounder with seven.

But overall, New Zealand shot the ball at just 27%, while conceding 18 turnovers.

The tournament’s been a tough challenge for the Natalie Hurst coached team, with earlier defeats to Italy, 74-51, and Spain 99-50.

New Zealand plays the USA tomorrow (7am NZT) in their next match, and then the host nation in their final group match on Wednesday.

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

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/15/tall-ferns-go-down-to-senegal/

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DoC’s Kākāpo livstream attracts international attention

Source: Radio New Zealand

Rakiura a female kākāpō is being livestreamed from her nest. SCREENSHOT

A Department of Conservation (DoC) livestream of a nesting Kākāpo on a remote island off the coast of the South Island, has attracted international attention.

Through a hidden camera, viewers can watch Rakiura as she raises her chick, who looks more like a sentient ball of fluff than a bird, at this stage.

In the comments of the YouTube livestream, watchers announce they’re tuning in from places including Argentina, The United States and The Netherlands.

“She’s a star,” one commenter said, “I love to come here and watch Rakiura and her chick for a while every day it is so special,” another wrote.

More than 100 people are tuning in to the livestream at any given time.

The livestream is beamed across the world from a arge cavity beneath a rātā tree on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island.

Twenty-four-year-old Rakiura even laid an egg on the livestream back in January and was now raising her chick for the world to see.

According to DoC, there were only 236 Kākāpo left in the world, and as they were only in Aotearoa, many people would never see one in real life.

A Kākāpo with her chick. (File photo) JAKE OSBORNE

This was the first breeding season for Kākāpo since 2022, it said.

Kākāpō only breed every two to four years and this year’s season could the best yet following a bumper mast, or mass fruiting of rimu berries.

During this breeding season, Rakiura had laid three eggs – but only two of these went on to hatch. One of the chicks was transferred to a foster mum while the second, Nora-A2 2026, is still in the nest with her mum.

DoC said Rakiura had nine living descendants across six breeding seasons and also had many “grandchicks”.

The Kākāpo cam helped scientists learn about nesting behaviour along with letting people around the world watch without disturbing the birds, it said, and helped build support for protecting the species.

On its website, DoC urged people to share the video with friends and family because “the more people who care, the better the future for kākāpō”.

This year’s live stream set up involved four solar panels, 26kg of batteries, 300m of cable, satellite internet, routers, voltage converters and more.

The Kākāpo livestream could be viewed here.

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

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/12/docs-kakapo-livstream-attracts-international-attention/

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Snow, Ice, and Performance: 2026 Changan Global Testing Season Arrives in Europe with Back-to-Back Winter Events

Source: Media Outreach

  • European dealers and journalists experienced the CHANGAN DEEPAL S05 AWD at 2026 Changan Global Testing Season this February.
  • With intelligent AWD and advanced ADAS, the CHANGAN DEEPAL S05 AWD offered uncompromising safety and control on winter roads.

Saalfelden, Austria – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 March 2026 – Following extreme cold tests in Yakeshi, China, the 2026 Changan Global Testing Season made its European debut this February with the Changan Winter Experience in Courmayeur and the Winter Test Drives in Saalfelden. The all-electric CHANGAN DEEPAL S05 AWD was tested on snow and ice—familiar conditions for European drivers—offering dealers and journalists an immersive introduction to Changan’s electric mobility vision through dynamic drives.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist and Milano Cortina 2026 Ambassador Deborah Compagnoni joined the event in Courmayeur, testing the CHANGAN DEEPAL S05 AWD. Her career—defined by determination, control, and reliability—reflects Changan’s core values. “I felt that the principles of trajectory and speed in skiing apply to driving. With this model, you gain confidence on challenging terrain,” she said.

Snow-Validated Performance: The CHANGAN DEEPAL S05 AWD

Tested in Europe, the CHANGAN DEEPAL S05 AWD demonstrated controllable dynamics, reliable traction, and enhanced safety—highlighting its cutting-edge AWD and ADAS. The system adapts seamlessly: ECO/COMFORT modes prioritize RWD efficiency, while AWD will engage automatically when sensors detect slip, high torque demand, or extreme cold below -25°C. SPORT mode delivers permanent 50:50 torque for sharper response. SNOW mode maintains balanced torque with optimized slip control for confident driving on low-grip surfaces.

The intelligent AWD system delivers up to 320 kW power, 502 Nm torque, and 0–100 km/h acceleration in 5.5 seconds. It also improves hill climbing with a 40% gradient capability, ensures stability by actively balancing power to prevent skidding, and enables safer cornering at higher speeds through optimized grip and vehicle dynamics.

Changan Standard: Proven in the Alps, Bound for the World

Changan Standard is defined by a principle: forged in extremes, built for every day. From Yakeshi to the Alps, the test environments are selected to verify specific performance attributes—safety technologies, chassis response, all-wheel-drive calibration, and ADAS in low-grip scenarios. The objective of 2026 Global Testing Season is not to demonstrate extremes, but to confirm consistency: that the same level of safety, control, and stability demonstrated will be replicated in Mexico, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.

Hashtag: #Changan

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

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The world is eating our lunch: How our apples, seafood and avocados make millions

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ

Five years after Who’s Eating NZ, this series revisits where our food goes – but this time through the lens of Kiwi breakfast, lunch and dinner staples. We track how much of what we produce is eaten here, and who has a seat at our global table during meal times. Today, it’s lunch time.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon memorably advised parents unhappy with supplied school lunches to “make a Marmite sandwich and put an apple in a bag”.

New Zealand certainly does enjoy an abundance of apples.

We grow so many that almost nine out of 10 are sold overseas, fresh and processed.

The bumper crop is no accident. There has been a concerted push to grow the apple export industry with the development and marketing of new varieties. Royal gala and Braeburn apples have been joined by Jazz, Envy and Rockit.

Back in 2012, the industry set a goal of reaching $1 billion in exports by 2022. At that time, exports were sitting at $340 million. The target was missed in 2022, but exceeded in 2025 when exports of $1.26b were achieved.

New challenges come with that success though. Horticulture company T&G won a court order in China, forcing orchards in China to rip out illegally grown knock-offs of its Envy variety.

China clearly has developed a taste for our apples – it was our biggest apple buyer in 2025, followed by Taiwan, Vietnam and India.

For local apple buyers, prices fluctuate through the year, with the highest prices occurring in January. In 2007, 1kg of apples cost $3.89. In January 2025 a kilogram of apples cost $6.15.

The humble avocado might be one of the most controversial foods around. Along with being blamed for creating a generation of renters, its notoriously slippery stone has meant millions in ACC payouts for ‘avocado hand’ injuries, and telling someone they “have the avocados” can spark a language debate.

As well as being keen consumers, New Zealand makes a solid contribution to the global supply of avocados. More than 4700 hectares of the country is planted in avocados, with most concentrated in the Far North and Bay of Plenty.

About 50 percent of what was grown locally last year remained in the country, the rest heading offshore.

Australia is the biggest buyer, purchasing about a third of our exports in 2025, down from a peak of 90 percent in 2020. Far smaller quantities are bought by South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Export earnings have fallen from a 2020 high of $177m to $102m, as New Zealand competes with other global growers, such as Peru, which had a bumper crop in 2025.

New Zealand Avocado chief executive Brad Siebert said countries such as Mexico, Peru, Columbia and South Africa are producing more avocados, which leads to volatile prices. Demand globally is increasing, but at a slow, sometimes uneven pace.

Domestic prices rise and fall annually, often peaking in May. The highest price per kg of $28.67 was in May 2019.

Seafood might be hard to miss in an office lunchroom, but in the data it disappears. It is incredibly hard to put a figure on how much commercially caught seafood ends up in our lunchboxes compared to what’s exported.

The industry body Seafood NZ said there’s been no need to collect domestic information and this position hasn’t changed since RNZ examined seafood exports in 2020.

It is possible to take some stabs at the number. Previously published figures include 90 percent, 77 percent, and numbers previously on Seafood New Zealand’s website say approximately 450,000 tonnes of seafood is caught each year, with 276,901 tonnes exported.

This comes out at about 63 percent – but working on caught weight versus exported weight is not accurate. Fish is gutted and often filleted before export, so it is impossible to match the caught weight up with export data. Sanford’s 2025 annual report says about 82 percent of its sale value is from exports.

Where our seafood goes has shifted over time. In the 1990s, Japan, Australia and the United States were the biggest buyers of our seafood, but by 2011 China emerged as the top buyer. Its spending peaked in 2022 at $709m but by 2025 dropped to $594m.

Seafood exports earned $2b in 2024 and 2025. The biggest single export earner was live rock lobster – China bought $290m worth of them.

Crayfish might not be on everyone’s lunch menu, but rock lobster has been New Zealand seafood’s biggest export earner since 2017 with around 2500 tonnes exported each year, earning between $266m and $392m. Export volumes hit a record 2700 tonnes in 2025.

The demand has put pressure on crayfish populations. In December it was announced that commercial and recreational fishing for rock lobster will be banned from April 2026 off Northland’s east coast in an effort to halt the species rapid decline in the area.

Despite high-profile controversy about global beverage giants bottling our water, exported New Zealand water actually represents a small proportion compared to what’s sold locally.

An exact figure for local sales is hard to come by, but 2018 information published on the Ministry for the Environment’s website suggests only 17 percent is exported.

Bottling companies pay resource consent fees, but do not pay for the water itself. This can mean they pay less for water than residential rate payers.

In 2020 China was the biggest buyer, but since 2022 the US has taken top position.

Despite abundant water here, Kiwis still pay for water from other countries. In 2025 more than 3 million litres was imported, including 1m litres from Italy and nearly 300,000 litres from Fiji.

Stay tuned for Friday’s story, where we take a look at who we’re sharing our dinner with and dive into beef, sheep, onion and wine exports.

Where the data came from

Apples: New Zealand Apple and Pears and StatsNZ trade data items with a harmonised system description containing “Fruit, edible; apples”.

Avocados: New Zealand Avocado and StatsNZ trade data items with a harmonised system description containing “Fruit, edible; avocados, fresh”.

Seafood: Various sources and StatsNZ trade data for items with a harmonised system code between 301910000 to 308909000.

Water: Ministry for the Environment and StatsNZ trade data items with the following harmonised system descriptions: “Waters; mineral and aerated, including natural or artificial, (not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter nor flavoured), other than in metal containers”, Waters; other than mineral and aerated, (not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter nor flavoured), ice and snow, other than in metal containers” , “Waters; mineral and aerated, including natural or artificial, (not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter nor flavoured), in metal containers”, “Waters; other than mineral and aerated, (not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter nor flavoured), ice and snow, in metal aerosol containers, not containing chlorofluorocarbons” , “Waters; other than mineral and aerated, (not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter nor flavoured), ice and snow, in metal containers, not aerosol”

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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/2026/03/11/the-world-is-eating-our-lunch-how-our-apples-seafood-and-avocados-make-millions/

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Navy faces potential fine after Akaroa Harbour oil spill

Source: Radio New Zealand

Oil spill from HMNZS Te Kaha is contained on Akaroa Harbour. Facebook/Environment Canterbury

Canterbury Regional Council is yet to decide if there will be any penalties for the Royal New Zealand Navy after a ship spilled hundreds of litres of oil in Akaroa Harbour.

About 200 to 300 litres of lubricating oil leaked from HMNZS Te Kaha on Sunday morning because of an oil cooler defect on the ship’s starboard engine.

The Defence Force (NZDF) said the ship was in Akaroa for a training exercise.

The council’s coast and harbours manager Guy Harris said crews had cleaned up most of the oil using absorbent booms. It was not a large spill, but the oil was quite toxic and “thick” for wildlife, although that made it easier for teams to pick up, he said.

“We’ve been on the water since first light doing observations. We still haven’t seen any more black oil but we are still seeing odd sheen, which is very thin layers of oil, and we’re chasing those down.

“We’re also doing shoreline observations looking for oil on the beach, on the rocks.

“This type of oil could be quite significant if it wasn’t captured, if it was in a more remote place or the weather wasn’t so forgiving or we couldn’t get to it, it could be quite damaging. But in this instance we did everything right, and we had a few things on our side as well.”

Harris said any enforcement action against the Navy was yet to be determined by the regional council.

Polluting ships could result in prosecutions or fines of thousands of dollars under the Resource Management Act.

Harris said there had been no reports of any oiled or sick wildlife so far, but teams were continuing to search the area. The oil spill did not happen in Akaroa’s marine reserve.

“We’ve been looking out for seabirds such as shags or blue penguins, there’s a few other birds that come and go but they’re the main ones we’d be looking for, and maybe red-billed gulls,” he said.

The HMNZS Te Kaha (file photo). SUPPLIED / US NAVY

Otago University professor of zoology Liz Slooten said she had serious concerns for dolphins and seabirds in the harbour.

She said seabirds could have their feathers covered in oil, causing them to lose their insulation, sink, drown or be unable to catch fish. Risks for marine mammals included breathing in polluted fumes, getting oil in their eyes, or eating contaminated fish, she said.

“There’s a whole bunch of health effects that will follow on from these animals taking in oil, or diesel or other petrochemicals, so it’s a really serious problem.”

She said bottlenose dolphins had been seen to lose teeth after swimming in contaminated waters in the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, when 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled into the sea.

Slooten said it was concerning the Navy leak was the second spill in the harbour in the past two months, with more than 2000 litres of marine diesel fuel spilling from the Black Cat Cruises boat on 31 January.

Banks Peninsula councillor Tyrone Fields said Akaroa had had a “horror run” and news of another spill was disheartening.

“The health of the harbour there is really on the precipice, and I’d hate to think we’d consider doing future damage to it by continuing to pump wastewater into it. At some point we just have to start doing the right thing when it comes to our waterways.”

NZDF said the ship’s company had been working with the harbourmaster to clean up the slick.

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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/2026/03/09/navy-faces-potential-fine-after-akaroa-harbour-oil-spill/

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REVEALED: Scientists’ discovery of ancient deep sea corals brings new hope for protection against threat of industrial fishing – Greenpeace

Source: Greenpeace

New scientific research from Greenpeace has uncovered ancient and fragile corals at a Lord Howe Rise seamount in the South Pacific, an area of huge ecological significance in the high seas that has never been surveyed before.
This scientific discovery, from just one seamount on the Lord Howe Rise, has proven for the first time that the seamount is a vulnerable marine ecosystem. This new status should protect it from destructive bottom trawling, according to international rules intended to protect these fragile ecosystems. This discovery comes as bottom trawling was temporarily paused in the area in 2024, but threatens to make a return.
The scientists catalogued a total of 350 corals, sponges and other life forms in just a fraction of the Lord Howe Rise seamount – many of which are 100+ years old and some reaching almost 2 metres in height. Slow-growing and fragile, the corals include bamboo, golden, precious, stony, hydro and black, in addition to sponges, sea lilies and anemones.
Vulnerable marine ecosystems are fragile, rare, or complex marine habitats that are highly susceptible to irreparable damage from human activities. Campaigners say this means that the area must be closed to damaging bottom trawling for good – widely considered to be the greatest threat to seamount ecosystems.
Commenting, Greenpeace Aotearoa Ocean Campaigner Ellie Hooper who led the scientific expedition to Lord Howe Rise, says:
“It was moving and awe-inspiring to see these vibrant corals and fragile sponges streamed up from the deep, but right now they face an uncertain future. If this site is reopened, these ancient species could be destroyed by New Zealand bottom trawlers in the future. And this discovery is just a tiny snapshot of life in the area.
“The New Zealand government must stop protecting the interests of industrial fishing companies and not attempt to reopen the area for bottom trawling. Every other nation has stopped this destructive practice in the region, are they not embarrassed to be the only ones left?
“We are now armed with the proof we needed that bottom trawling must be banned here. It’s clear that this is a vulnerable marine ecosystem so it’s crucial we act now to protect this fragile life in the deep from destruction.”
Lord Howe Rise is of huge ecological significance, but despite this it remains under serious threat. Whilst the seamount surveyed was temporarily closed to bottom trawling in 2024 after a New Zealand trawler – the Tasman Viking – dragged up 37kg of coral, the New Zealand government could push to reopen that area to destructive bottom trawling, which could destroy the ancient corals and sponges scientists have documented there.
The New Zealand government in early 2026 submitted a proposal to increase the amount of coral and other vulnerable deep-sea species that can be trawled up as bycatch on the high seas without consequence. This proposal was submitted ahead of the annual meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation this week, with Greenpeace also submitting the findings from Lord Howe.
International resolutions state that vulnerable marine ecosystems should be protected from bottom trawling due to their fragility, ecosystem importance and slow recovery rate, making them incredibly vulnerable to this fishing method.
The area is being considered for one of the world’s first ocean sanctuaries under the Global Ocean Treaty, which came into force earlier this year.
Notes and Images and video here:
  • Lord Howe Rise stills and video.
  • Seamount Expedition stills
  • – The scientific evidence has been submitted to the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) Commission 2026 which took place 2-6 March in Panama. This is where the New Zealand Government has also submitted their proposal to increase the amount of coral and other vulnerable species that can be caught as bycatch.
  • – 350 examples of coral, sponges and deep sea life were cataloged (for clarity – note this is not 350 different species but rather 350 instances of deep sea taxa)
  • – The scientific analysis was conducted on a subset of footage recorded during deep-sea video surveys from the Greenpeace Seamounts Expedition in March 2025. The seamount is on the Central Lord Howe Rise, in international waters managed by the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO). Of the 77 still images analysed to determine if they met the VME FAO Deep-sea Fisheries criteria 45% (33) were classified a VMEs. 59 individual deep-sea coral and sponge taxon have been aged by expert taxonomists at over 100+ years old, and some likely even 200+ years old, based on their heights and published growth rates.
  • – International rules (UNGA Resolutions (61/105 & 64/72) mandate that vulnerable marine ecosystems should be protected from bottom trawling due to their fragility, ecosystem importance and slow recovery rate, making them incredibly vulnerable to this fishing method.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/07/revealed-scientists-discovery-of-ancient-deep-sea-corals-brings-new-hope-for-protection-against-threat-of-industrial-fishing-greenpeace/

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Building ties with Brazil

Source: New Zealand Government

New Zealand will continue to build its relationship with Brazil, Latin America’s most populous country, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. 

“Our delegation’s visit to Brazil has highlighted a range of areas in which our two countries want to do more together, including agriculture, aviation, trade and investment, education and film collaboration.

“Brazil seriously matters to Latin America, and the world, and New Zealand will accordingly be investing more in our relationship here.

“In these uncertain and challenging times, it’s more important than ever that countries like Brazil and New Zealand, as mature, open democracies, work together closely.” 

 “Brazil is an influential player in global affairs, as the world’s eleventh largest economy in the world. That’s why New Zealand needs to be engaging frankly and at a senior political level with our Brazilian partners.”

 During his wide-ranging meetings with Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and other Brazilian Ministers, Mr Peters discussed areas with potential for enhanced bilateral cooperation, highlighted our shared interests in the development of the Pacific Islands region, and exchanged views on major international issues including recent developments in Venezuela and Iran.

 Mr Peters also reconnected with Ambassador Celso Amorim, Chief Foreign Affairs Adviser to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Ambassador Amorim was Foreign Minister when Mr Peters last visited Brazil in 2007.

 Foreign Ministers Peters and Vieira signed an Audio-Visual Co-Production Agreement, which will deepen New Zealand and Brazil’s screen industry ties and create fresh opportunities for filmmakers on both sides.

 Minister Peters also signed a comprehensive Education Cooperation Arrangement with Brazil’s Acting Minister of Education Leonardo Barchini.

 “Brazil is our largest source of students from Latin America, and more New Zealand students and researchers have come to Brazil over the last decade than ever before. We want to see these positive trends continue, and this arrangement will further strengthen these ties.”

 While in Brazil, Mr Peters also delivered a keynote speech on New Zealand’s relationship with Latin America as well as attending with the New Zealand Parliamentary and business delegation a Business Showcase focused on New Zealand companies’ innovative products and services in the Brazilian market.

In the speech, Mr Peters said: “We see Latin America as an important partner in addressing major global challenges, including building climate resilience, and boosting food and energy security … Put simply, New Zealand cannot expect to be able to progress initiatives in the international arena without Latin American cooperation. Your region matters enormously for us.”

The New Zealand Parliamentary and business delegation – which has this week completed programmes in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil – travels tomorrow to Chile (Santiago and Rapa Nui) and then on to French Polynesia.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/06/building-ties-with-brazil/

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The Strategic Importance of Latin America

Source: New Zealand Government

[Speech to the New Zealand Innovation Showcase, Brasilia, Brazil, 5 March 2026]

Executive Secretary and Deputy Minister Elias, excellencies, distinguished guests, tēnā koutou katoa, boa noite, good evening.

We want to acknowledge the senior New Zealand bipartisan political delegation joining this mission:

Hon Carmel Sepuloni, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Hon Nicole McKee, Minister for Courts
Hon Damien O’Connor, Opposition Spokesperson for Trade
Mr Tim van de Molen, Chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee

We are also joined by a wide range of New Zealand companies active in Brazil. Some of their senior representatives have travelled with us from New Zealand, others are based here in Brazil, and a few have come from other parts of Latin America. They bring innovative solutions to essential sectors in Brazil – solutions for infrastructure, energy and resources, healthcare, defence, and agriculture.

All of these companies share a common thread: New Zealand’s reputation for innovation, practical solutions, and world-class quality.

It therefore is a great pleasure to formally open this New Zealand Innovation Showcase.

It’s wonderful to be back in Brazil. New Zealanders have long admired your country. For us, way down at the bottom of the Southwest pacific, just north of the penguins, Brazil has always grabbed our imagination. The mighty Amazon, the world’s lungs, its great river, and within its vast canopy, the greatest biodiversity anywhere on the planet. We admire the vibrant rhythm and flair of your people, and, of course, the magnificent history of your football team.

The first New Zealand football team to qualify for the World Cup was in 1982, after our team survived 15 gruelling matches just to qualify for the world’s premier sporting event. When the draw came out, with Brazil in our group, we all wondered how our team could hope to compete against a Brazilian side containing brilliant, world class players like Éder, Falcao, Júnior, Sócrates and Zico.

Well, you were very respectful of New Zealand that day, only scoring four goals against us, for which we remain grateful. Such was the euphoria New Zealanders felt to be even on the same pitch as your team, our capital’s then leading newspaper declared after the big loss that ‘Four years ago it would’ve been 20-0!’

In 1982 you were the best team at the tournament, but you didn’t win. New Zealanders understood your pain 13 years later, when a great All Blacks rugby team, the best performer at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, faltered at the final hurdle. That day we understood how Brazilians felt in 1982.

It was also an honour to meet Pelé in 2006, at FIFA’s invitation for that year’s World Cup Final in Berlin. Pelé came to define Brazilian football with his sublime skill, the freedom and excitement with which he played, his resilience and determination during his long career, and the way he carried himself on the pitch with a grace that only the most gifted can reach.

We would now like to turn attention to another important topic for all of us here: New Zealand’s relations with Latin America.

Though a vast ocean, and the imposing Andes, separate New Zealand from Brazil, we share important values – a commitment to democracy, the international rule of law, multilateralism, and a vision to create, however imperfectly, a future that sustains and nourishes our children and their children’s material needs, and whose environment and climate is tended to with a serious duty of care. Brazil’s demonstrated this duty of care during its recent impressive hosting of COP 30.

Twenty twenty-six marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the New Zealand Embassy here in Brasilia, and the 62nd anniversary of our diplomatic relations.

We have, since coming into office, led a highly active diplomacy, focusing most particularly on our own region, the Pacific, and in South and Southeast Asia. Now is the time, we believe, to build on our history in South America to elevate our diplomatic and economic relationships with your continent.

We do so because those of us who have history together, who share common beliefs, and possess the same essential values, must strengthen our bonds as we work to protect institutions that have, for all their imperfections, helped to sustain conditions of global peace for 80 years. We come as friends wanting to talk about the work ahead.

That is also why we are here as a cross-party delegation, alongside our business delegation, to signal as clearly as we can, that boosting our relationships with Brazil and with your Latin American neighbours is a goal on all sides of New Zealand politics.

This commitment is not made lightly, nor is it merely a response to the current regional and global disruptions we face. It is a recognition from New Zealand that we have not done enough in past decades to grow our relations, and we are resolved not just to improve them, but to transform them.

That will take time, and this is just the beginning, but we are keen to move fast as we find those areas where our people can mutually benefit from our governments and businesses’ greater collaborations and partnerships.

We see Latin America as an important partner in addressing major global challenges, including building climate resilience, and boosting food and energy security.

We also share serious concerns over the ever present and fast-growing threat of transnational organised crime. We also share in the urgent need to protect and promote effective rules-based multilateralism and trade architecture.

Put simply, New Zealand cannot expect to be able to progress initiatives in the international arena without Latin American cooperation – be that in the United Nations, Antarctic Treaty System, APEC, or on trade. Your region matters enormously for us.

As we say, continuing to build our relationships with the region is a strategic choice for New Zealand.  It is why we have a sizeable network of diplomatic missions spread across the region, and why we have held a series of foreign policy consultations over the last year. Our Latin American partnerships matter.

And this is again why we considered it important to undertake this rare cross-parliamentary, business and cultural mission to the region. Within a geo-strategic environment that is changing rapidly and is hugely challenging, deepening our engagement with Latin America is critical for achieving our enduring objectives of ensuring:

A sustainable future, a prosperous and resilient future, and a stable, safe, and just future – for your people and ours.

A sustainable future

We recall first visiting Brasilia almost 20 years ago now as Foreign Minister, when President Lula was leading your country.  Back then we spoke about how Brazil was emerging as a political superpower. Today, Brazil is viewed as a leader in the multilateral space at a time of profound geopolitical change and challenge.

Brazil’s hosting role convening COP30 and the G20 reveals your country’s ability to bridge divides and foster dialogue among diverse partners, large and small. Brazil can feel proud in showcasing how committed it is to inclusive, forward-looking solutions on climate resilience, economic governance, and global security.

In our meetings here, with Minister Vieria, Ambassador Amorim and Deputy Minister Elias, we agreed that this is something we all need to do if we are to be successful in defending and advancing the international rules-based order on which our shared security and prosperity rely.

In an era where consensus is increasingly elusive, the ability to convene, lead, and inspire collaboration is indispensable. We have been saying in multilateral and bilateral fora that never has diplomacy been more needed than now. We need to talk more, listen more, even to those with whom we might not agree. But from more diplomacy, more listening to other perspectives, we see a path towards greater understanding between nations.

Our time here in Brasilia was preceded by visits to Buenos Aires and Montevideo, where we similarly spoke with President Milei and President Orsi on the fundamental importance, indeed necessity, of boosting global cooperation and effective coalition-building with our Latin American and other partners.

Our shared interest in preserving the Antarctic as a zone of peace and science was a key topic, following on from New Zealand’s hosting late last year of an Antarctic Parliamentary Assembly. It was the first time the assembly was held in the Southern Hemisphere, and we were thrilled to be able to attract parliamentarians from across Latin America, including from Argentina and Uruguay.

While the Antarctic Treaty has been maintaining peace and promoting scientific collaboration for close to seven decades, the region is not immune to the impacts of the geopolitical landscape. Protecting the Antarctic is as important to us as protecting your vast rainforest is to you, as both have impacts on our global climate’s health.

We must work together to ensure the long-term protection of the Antarctic as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science, which supports our shared security and prosperity.  As such, we were especially pleased to sign a new Antarctic Cooperation Arrangement with Uruguay while we were in Montevideo, and to take the pulse of the one we have with Argentina while in Buenos Aires.

Chile, where we will visit next, is also a gateway nation to Antarctica and a close partner when it comes to protecting it, as well as our shared oceans – in fact, it was at the United Nation’s “Our Oceans Conference” that we last met with our Chilean Foreign Minister counterpart.

New Zealand’s relationship with Chile is a close and longstanding one.  Last year, we marked our 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations. It is a relationship that was sealed back in 1945 when we were both proud founding members of the United Nations, an institution where we have worked so long and so closely with Latin American partners.  And we will continue to do so.

We have highlighted in speeches at the United Nations that the United Nations’ system is facing unprecedented challenges that have built up over time. We urged the United Nations leadership and members to work seriously to achieve long overdue but necessary reforms that help to reduce the vulnerabilities the UN currently faces. Do more with less, and be effective, by focussing on its core purpose to improve its impact and delivery.

The next UN Secretary will have a significant role in carrying forward the all-important reform process.          

New Zealand is already supporting that effort through its co-leadership of the United Nations mandate review, and we will work closely with Latin American countries to ensure this aspect of United Nations reform is fit for purpose for another 80 years.

Another key success of our Latin American partnerships has been positioning ourselves at the vanguard of developing innovative future-focused trade architecture. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a great example of this. In the early 2000s, Chile and New Zealand led the creation of the high-quality and comprehensive P4 Agreement. It was then expanded into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (bringing onboard Mexico and Peru), and it has subsequently transformed into what now has global reach and influence with the accession of the United Kingdom, and others – including Costa Rica, Uruguay and Ecuador – seeking to do so.

Innovative leadership on trade rules gives small and medium-sized trading nations like New Zealand and many of our Latin American partners a larger, more influential voice in shaping the international trade environment that we all depend on.

Alongside CPTPP, we have successfully collaborated on a range of modern trade agreements.  The latest offering is the innovative Future of Investment Partnership, which we were pleased to launch last year alongside a range of partners, including Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Peru.

At a time when the international rules-based system is facing multiple challenges, open, rules-based trade is more important than ever, whether through CPTPP, Mercosur, or other platforms such as the Pacific Alliance – which New Zealand remains keen to join as an Associate Member when appropriate.  Open, rules-based trade is critical for our shared future prosperity.

A prosperous and resilient future

There is so much more we should be doing to grow our shared prosperity. For New Zealand, Latin America remains a region of significant untapped trade potential where we can and want to do more, including in terms of diversifying our trading base.

Latin America represents the world’s fourth-largest economy – US$6.34 trillion – almost twice that of India.  Latin America is home to 660 million people with high education levels; large middle classes; sizable youth populations; and an abundance of natural resources.

In fact, it holds half of the world’s biodiversity, a quarter of its forests, and a substantial share of minerals essential to the twin digital and low carbon transitions. The region’s sheer size and resources present significant opportunities for New Zealand businesses looking to diversify beyond the Indo-Pacific and traditional markets.

The New Zealand Government is aiming to double its export value by 2034.  And this is why we are joined on this Latin America Mission by a delegation of New Zealand business leaders.  Our time here also dovetails our Minister of Trade’s successful mission to São Paulo in October 2024, which saw us achieve a $100 million trade boost from the 13 arrangements signed. They covered a broad range of sectors, including technology, healthcare and advanced manufacturing, showcasing New Zealand’s diverse offerings and a growing regional interest in New Zealand expertise.

Here in Brazil, our volume of trade is not huge, but it is fresh and exciting. That’s because, in Brazil, New Zealand is not known as a source of high-volume primary goods, but instead as a high-quality technology exporter successfully engaging in areas where we can add real value, by raising productivity, efficiency and profitability for our Brazilian customers and partners.

And this brings me to the theme of the Innovation Showcase here today: Accelerate Brazil, with its focus on boosting commercial opportunities through greater engagement in the technology sector.

Among the success stories featured here today is Tait Communications.  Tait entered the Brazilian market back in 2006, and it has since become a strong regional player, which is challenging the market share of larger, US-based companies such as Motorola, to provide communication and security solutions in the mining and defence sectors. Over the years, Tait’s business has seen remarkable growth, and it has turned its headquarters here in Brazil into a regional hub for its operations in South America.

As demonstrated by some of the businesses here with us today, including Livestock Improvement Corporation and Gallaghers, there is also, we think, a great opportunity for further engagement in agritech.  Though New Zealand has previously been viewed as a competitor, there appears to be an increasing awareness of the value of collaborating with us in the agriculture sector – something which is backed by New Zealand’s record of helping to improve the productivity and sustainability of small, medium, and large dairy producers in the region.

By example, back in 2007, when we last visited, New Zealand also first invested in the Kiwi Group dairy farm in Goiás state.  The operation has since gone from strength to strength, showing how New Zealand pasture-based sustainable production systems can be adapted to Brazil’s climate conditions – and with great success. The farm is now the largest milk producer in the state and will shortly inaugurate a new modern farm.

There are also other similar Kiwi-Brazilian collaborative farming stories, including in Bahia. We hope we can do much more with Brazil and other partners across the region in the agricultural and other sectors, as the benefits of New Zealand agritech products and systems become better-known.

As demonstrated at this showcase, New Zealand is well-placed to provide a broad range of focused, smart solutions that enable increased productivity and efficiency, and therefore economic development, in sectors of strategic importance throughout the region, such as technology-driven service solutions that support export agriculture, the mining industry, and other sectors including IT, retail, healthcare and film.

On the film sector, we signed with the Brazilian Foreign Minister yesterday a Brazil – New Zealand Audio-Visual Co-Production Agreement, which aligns with our Government’s 

“Going for Growth” economic strategy.  The agreement allows approved film and television projects to gain the status of official co-productions, entitling them to the benefits accorded to national productions in each of the co-producer’s countries. New Zealand’s co-production agreements with partners worldwide have delivered tangible benefits for our local film industry, and we have every expectation that this will be the case here too.

Indeed, tonight, we are pleased to have here with us an exemplar of what can be achieved in this area in the person of David Schurmann, a Brazilian New Zealander who produced and directed the film Little Secret – a film that Brazil submitted to the foreign-language category of the Oscars back in 2016.

New Zealand is eager to ensure that the implementation of the agreement is a success, and LANZBC – which is with us on this mission – will shortly host a film webinar, alongside the New Zealand Film Commission and Brazil’s ANCINE.

We were also pleased to sign yesterday a refreshed Education Cooperation Arrangement with Brazil. Education and research have long been an important strand of our relationship with Brazil and the broader region. All eight New Zealand universities are ranked in the top two percent globally and prior to COVID, we hosted some 25,000 students from the region each year to further their education and research.

While those numbers are still rebuilding, we are very keen to see that this vital exchange of our best and brightest youth continues to grow.

A safe, secure, and just future

Beyond our diplomatic and economic relations, we see value in shoring-up our relationships with Latin American partners to help protect and advance national, regional and international security. Collectively we are facing the most challenging strategic environment in 80 years. Geostrategic competition, armed conflict and the instability it causes, and transnational organised crime are all on the rise. No region is immune, although nor has there ever been better appreciation about how inter-connected our regions are.

Given this context, it is critical we actively contribute and work together towards global peacebuilding and security. And we have a track record of doing so in the past: from WW2, where the “Smoking Snakes” of Brazil fought courageously at Monte Castello in the north of Italy, whilst New Zealand troops did the same at Monte Cassino in the south; to today, where we have units working together in contemporary peacekeeping missions, such as with Uruguay and Colombia, and in the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai.

New Zealand calls for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law to be upheld in Venezuela, and that all political prisoners and others arbitrarily detained to be released. The people of Venezuela must determine their country’s political future.

We have also been a steadfast supporter of Colombia’s 2016 peace agreement. While New Zealand was President of the UNSC, we co-sponsored resolution 2261, which established a UN political mission to monitor and verify the bilateral ceasefire between the Colombian Government and FARC. This has been followed by New Zealand supporting post-conflict demining efforts, including a contribution made last year to the UN Multi-partner Trust Fund for sustaining peace in Colombia, also focussing on demining efforts.

More recently, the New Zealand Government agreed a comprehensive plan to disrupt and prevent drug exports to New Zealand and Pacific Islands, with the Islands vulnerable to the dreadful poison of drugs. We’ve established new offshore liaison positions to increase collaboration with our international partners, because it’s one battle we cannot afford to lose.

Latin America countries share our concerns about transnational organised crime and are key partners in the fight against it.  We are pleased to announce that one of those new offshore liaison positions will be based in Bogotá with a regional remit, working alongside the Australian Federal Police, and embedded with the Colombia National Police.

A positive global future requires a Latin America that is safe, secure, active, and prosperous, and we look forward to strengthening our engagement with Brazil and other partners in the region on these important issues.

Closing Remarks

The key objective for our mission is to reinforce both bilaterally and across the region the value we are attaching to our Latin American partnerships.  No country or region on its own can satisfactorily or sustainably address the multiple challenges we face today.  We need to work hard to collaborate more politically, commercially, and through people-to-people links.

Indeed, promoting our growing people-to-people links remains one of the best ways we can deepen and broaden our collaboration. In that regard, New Zealand was pleased to support the launch of the new airlink between Auckland and Buenos Aires, and we hope more such direct linkages will be possible in the future.

The last 25 years has seen the welcome emergence of a steadily growing Latin American community in New Zealand. It now numbers more than 38,000 and they make an outsized contribution to the vibrancy and value of our country.  Many thousands have been supported to experience New Zealand through our working holiday schemes with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay, which are hugely popular. Perhaps a few more of your footballers might like to join them.

We encourage young New Zealanders, too, to take up the opportunity to travel between our countries and forge life-long experiences and connections, which in turn will strengthen our bonds.

Muito obrigado,

muchas gracias,

thank you and kia ora mai tātou.

 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/06/the-strategic-importance-of-latin-america/

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Football Ferns v American Samoa – FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers

Source: Radio New Zealand

American Samoa’s Aaliyah Tu’ua and New Zealand’s Hannah Blake. Joshua Devenie / Phototek.nz

The Football Ferns overcame their biggest test, so far, of the Oceania World Cup qualifiers when they defeated American Samoa 3-0 in the Solomon Islands on Thursday.

In a battle between the top two sides in Group A, Football Fern Kelli Brown scored from the penalty spot just before half-time to break the deadlock.

Claudia Bunge doubled New Zealand’s lead just after half-time when she got on the end of a bending Michaela Foster cross.

Indiah Paige-Riley scored from long range, nestling the ball in the top left corner, in the 71st minute.

American Samoa managed to restrict the Football Ferns’ scoring in a way that Samoa and the Solomon Islands had not been able to earlier in the tournament.

In both previous matches the New Zealanders had scored eight unanswered goals.

The Football Ferns had already secured a place in the next stage of the qualification process for next year’s World Cup, the semi-finals, to be held in New Zealand next month.

The final will be played in Auckland on 15 April with the winner booking their place at the World Cup in Brazil.

Follow how all the action unfolded below:

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

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/05/football-ferns-v-american-samoa-fifa-womens-world-cup-qualifiers/

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New NZ-Chile cooperation arrangement to deliver for agriculture sectors

Source: New Zealand Government

New Zealand and Chile have signed an arrangement to boost agricultural cooperation and drive sector success, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.

“Agriculture is at the heart of the New Zealand and Chilean economies. We have similar farming systems, similar geographies, and both advocate for open, rules-based trade,” Mr McClay says.

“The new Strategic Agricultural Arrangement 2026 – 2030 signals our strong commitment to working together and strengthening our agricultural relationship.

“Key features of the arrangement include encouraging regional and global collaboration and developing our people. We will work together to exchange expertise, promote and advance sustainable agricultural development, undertake important research and innovation, and build climate resilience.”

Last year New Zealand and Chile marked 80 years of diplomatic relations, and two-way trade reached $342.94 million in the year ending September 2025.
 

“The new arrangement will enable New Zealand and Chile to seize agricultural opportunities, tackle shared challenges, and ultimately achieve more together,” Mr McClay says.

“This Government is laser-focused on building the future, boosting returns for farmers, growers, producers and exporters, growing the economy and driving prosperity for New Zealanders.”

The arrangement was signed by Mr McClay and Chile’s Minister of Agriculture Dr. Ignacia Fernández.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/05/new-nz-chile-cooperation-arrangement-to-deliver-for-agriculture-sectors/

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New Zealand and Uruguay: Natural partners

Source: New Zealand Government

New Zealand and Uruguay have reaffirmed their natural partnership as small, open democracies, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. 

“Today’s discussions in Montevideo have underlined that New Zealand and Uruguay have much in common, as small, export-oriented countries buffeted by global forces over which we have little control,” Mr Peters says. 

“In these uncertain and challenging times, it’s vital that small, like-minded countries such as New Zealand and Uruguay work together to protect and advance our mutual interests. 

“We should be promoting democracy, human rights and the international, rules-based system, and deepening our long-standing and mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation. There is broad scope for doing more together, including on trade policy, education, sport, science and culture.”

Mr Peters held official talks today with Uruguay’s President Yamandú Orsi and Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin – after which the two Foreign Ministers released a Joint Statement. Mr Peters is accompanied in Uruguay by a Parliamentary and business delegation. 

“Our discussions with the President and Foreign Minister highlighted how much Uruguay welcomes the significant New Zealand business engagement here – and the potential for this to grow further, especially in high value-added sectors, such as forestry and agribusiness technology. Uruguay and New Zealand also have an abiding interest in trading arrangements that boost exports,” Mr Peters says. 

“We also talked about major international issues, including developments in Iran, Ukraine, and Venezuela and the geo-strategic environments in both Latin America and the Indo-Pacific.”           

Mr Peters will also attend a New Zealand-Uruguay friendship dinner in Montevideo tonight where he and the accompanying business and parliamentary delegation will meet and exchange perspectives with government officials and private sector representatives. He will also acknowledge the contribution of New Zealand Honorary Consul to Uruguay, Ricardo Shaw, for his 13 years of distinguished service.

Mr Peters and the Parliamentary and business delegation leave for Brazil tomorrow, before programmes later in the week in Chile (Santiago and Rapa Nui) and French Polynesia.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/new-zealand-and-uruguay-natural-partners/

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Closer cooperation with Argentina

Source: New Zealand Government

New Zealand and Argentina have agreed to cooperate more closely, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.

“Our discussions today have underlined that both New Zealand and Argentina are working hard to make our economies more efficient in order to deliver more jobs and higher living standards through export growth,” Mr Peters, who met President Javier Milei and Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, says.

“Argentina has achieved an impressive economic turnaround and government reform in recent years, and New Zealand companies can and should be among those to do more here.” 

Mr Peters is currently leading a Parliamentary and business delegation through Latin America. The Parliamentary delegation visited Argentina’s National Congress, and called on its New Zealand Parliamentary Friendship Group. 

This is the first visit to Argentina by a New Zealand Foreign Minister since Mr Peters last came in 2007. 

His discussions with President Milei and Foreign Minister Quirno also involved dialogue on the uncertain international environment and recent global developments.

“We spoke about a range of issues of mutual interest, including the situation in Iran, the competitive strategic environment in both the Western Hemisphere and the Indo-Pacific, and the urgent need for reform of the UN system,” Mr Peters says. 

“Overall, today’s discussions demonstrated our growing business, education and people-to-people links with Argentina, while stressing our joint commitment to open, rules-based trade.”

Mr Peters and the Parliamentary and business delegations leave for Uruguay tomorrow, before programmes later in the week in Brazil, Chile (Santiago and Rapa Nui) and French Polynesia.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/03/closer-cooperation-with-argentina/

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Desert Diamond Hues Take Centre Stage On The Red Carpet At The 79th British Academy Film Awards

Source: Media Outreach

LONDON, UK – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 March 2026 – At this year’s British Academy Film Awards, the red carpet was illuminated with natural diamonds worn by some of the acting world’s most beloved stars, with Desert diamonds reigning supreme.

Desert diamond hues take centre stage on the red carpet at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. From top left to bottom right: Nathalie Emmanuel, Gillian Anderson, Archie Madekwe, Audrey Nuna, Regé-Jean Page

In evocative shades of champagne, honey, cognac, brown, and whiskey, these unique colours were seen on some of our most beloved actors and actresses- showcased in an exquisite array of cuts and designs, they blended timeless elegance with contemporary style.

Gillian Anderson, together with Nathalie Emmanuel, led the Desert diamond way with striking diamonds by Brazilian jeweller Ara Vartanian. Gillian woreasymmetric stone earrings featuring exceptional brown and white diamonds with complementing rings, whilst Nathalie wore an elongated drop earrings punctuated with brown diamonds, a bracelet and rings. K-Pop Demon Hunter star Audrey Nuna wore Desert diamond ear climbers from ANANYA.

Once reserved for jewellery boxes, brooches have become a go-to on the red carpet amongst the most decerning of wearers- Rising Star nominee Archie Madekwe paired his custom Dior suit with Ara Vartanian white diamond brooch and Desert diamond vintage rings whilst Regé-Jean Page looked to fauna as his inspiration in a Desert diamond dragonfly brooch by Hirsh London.

Poppy Delevingne attended the British Vogue and GǪ Fashion and Film Party adorned in Desert diamonds by Ara Vartanian

Actress and Model Poppy Delevingne attended the British Vogue and GǪ Fashion and Film Party adorned in Desert diamonds by Ara Vartanian.

For the occasion, Poppy chose to wear a curated selection of pieces in Desert diamond hues, included a striking necklace from the new Empirea collection, set with 17.34 carats of brown diamonds.

These extraordinary moments on the red carpet remind us that natural diamonds are born of the wild, their enduring beauty and unique nature express both style and glamour, as well as timelessness and cultural legacy.

#adiamondisforever #naturaldiamonds #diamonds #BAFTA #DesertDiamonds

https://www.debeersgroup.com/
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Hashtag: #DeBeersGroup #NaturalDiamonds #diamonds #Desertdiamonds #BAFTA #adiamondisforever

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/2026/03/02/desert-diamond-hues-take-centre-stage-on-the-red-carpet-at-the-79th-british-academy-film-awards/

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Huawei Launches Comprehensive U6GHz Portfolio to Unlock 5G-A Potential and Pave the Way for 6G

Source: Media Outreach

BARCELONA, SPAIN – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 March 2026 – At MWC Barcelona 2026, Huawei unveiled a full suite of U6GHz products and solutions designed to fully unleash the potential of 5G-A and enable a smooth evolution towards 6G. This suite provides the large capacity, low latency, and premium user experience required for the emerging mobile AI era.

AI is rapidly emerging as the core engine of the intelligent world. According to IDC, AI applications and devices have seen explosive growth over the past year: global monthly active users surpassed 1 billion, AI-powered smartphones accounted for over 50% of new shipments, AI glasses and other emerging devices saw an annual growth rate of over 50%, and token consumption surged by hundreds of times. This brings great opportunities for the mobile industry but also raises multi-dimensional requirements on the network. For example, AI multimodal interactions increase uplink traffic demand by three to five times; real-time decision-making requires low latency and deterministic assurance; ubiquitous AI agents demand more secure and reliable wide-area connectivity.

Currently, 5G-A has become the mainstream commercial technology for global operators, and is also the focus of service innovation and future evolution. The U6GHz band, with its large bandwidth and superior coverage, is becoming a key band for 5G-A evolution and commercial use. Following WRC‑23, U6GHz has been designated as a key mobile communications band. China, the UAE, Brazil, and several European countries are actively promoting spectrum identification, allocation, and testing. In terms of the industry chain, mainstream CPEs and smartphones are expected to be commercially available in 2026, paving the way for large-scale commercial use of U6GHz.

Huawei’s full U6GHz product suite covers a complete matrix of macro sites, micro sites, and microwave equipment, maximizing the advantages of ultra-large bandwidth in U6GHz. It precisely meets the core requirements of mobile AI applications for high capacity, low latency, and superior experience, providing a systematic solution for both the performance leap of 5G-A networks and the seamless evolution towards 6G.

To address outdoor coverage and capacity needs, Huawei has launched a series of AAU products. The U6GHz 256 TRX AAU adopts the extremely large antenna array (ELAA) design and digital-analog hybrid intelligent beamforming algorithms to deliver coverage capabilities comparable to C-band. Meanwhile, with the hyper-resolution MU-MIMO algorithm and 400 MHz ultra-large bandwidth, the product can achieve ultra-large capacity of 100 Gbps in the downlink and over 10 Gbps in the uplink, as well as optimal experience of 10 Gbps in the downlink and 1 Gbps in the uplink, to cope with the connection pressure brought by massive AI terminals and applications. To meet the network performance and deployment requirements in different scenarios, Huawei will also launch U6GHz AAUs with flexible combinations of channels and arrays, helping operators deploy 5G-A networks on a large scale in U6GHz and fully meet service requirements in the mobile AI era.

To meet the high concurrency and large capacity requirements of indoor AI applications, Huawei has launched U6GHz small cell products. They support the ultra-large bandwidth of 400 MHz in U6GHz and integrate and coordinate the U6GHz band with all sub-6 GHz bands. With simplified design and deployment, the products can help operators ensure consistent multi-dimensional experience of AI applications in both indoor and outdoor scenarios, allowing users to enjoy high-quality connections anytime and anywhere.

In terms of transmission, Huawei has launched new microwave products to meet the high‑bandwidth transmission requirements of U6GHz base stations. With industry-unique full-duplex technology, they can significantly improve the bandwidth and capacity of transport networks, meeting the peak traffic requirements of 5G-A and laying a solid foundation for evolution to 6G.

As AI adoption accelerates, U6GHz has become the key to exploring the present and unlocking the future. Huawei’s full U6GHz product suite is now commercially available. It can not only address the capacity challenges of 5G-A, but also support smooth evolution to 6G. This will open up new commercial opportunities for operators and lay a robust connectivity foundation for the intelligent world.

Hashtag: #Huawei

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/2026/03/01/huawei-launches-comprehensive-u6ghz-portfolio-to-unlock-5g-a-potential-and-pave-the-way-for-6g/

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Events – Jim Beam Homegrown announces emerging artists to perform at 2026 Festival

Source: Jim Beam Homegrown

Thursday, 26 February 2026 – Jim Beam Homegrown is turning up the volume on the future of New Zealand music, announcing six breakthrough acts from 150 entries to perform on the Manuka Phuel Nexus Stage at this year’s festival at Claudelands Oval in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton.

The Jim Beam Homegrown Manuka Phuel Nexus Stage is a dedicated performance platform for emerging Kiwi artists and reflects the Festival’s commitment to fostering homegrown talent.

Andrew Tuck, Jim Beam Homegrown chief executive and managing director, says the new stage represents a defining step in the festival’s evolution.

“Homegrown has always been about backing Kiwi music at every level,” says Tuck. “The Manuka Phuel Nexus Stage gives these emerging artists the opportunity to perform and gain visibility. These artists are already making noise, but we’re providing them with a stage to be louder!”

The selection process
The six emerging artists who will perform at Jim Beam Homegrown have been selected from a nationwide competition, which was open to artists of all genres. To be eligible, artists needed to have 2026+ monthly listeners, followers, or streams; 2026+ social followers; a press kit; radio ready single; and the ability to perform a 45-minute set of original music. Jim Beam Homegrown received 150 entries, of which the final six have been selected.

They are: Altercation X Erin G, Cordian, Imani-J, PRINS, Verity, Wet Denim.

Tuck says the overwhelming number of entries to the competition proves the future of Kiwi music is in safe hands.

“To see more than 150 artists put themselves forward shows just how much talent is out there. Narrowing it down to six wasn’t easy, but these artists have something special. In a few years, we fully expect some of these artists to be headlining major stages across the country.”

Tuck says: “Jim Beam Homegrown has always been a ground for fostering Kiwi talent, and this initiative strengthens that pathway. We’re not just booking artists for a set, we’re investing in the next chapter of New Zealand music.”

With seven stages, tens of thousands of fans, and the most ambitious production scale in Homegrown history, the addition of the Manuka Phuel Nexus Stage reinforces the festival’s mission: uplifting local talent while celebrating the artists who carry the sound of Aotearoa to the world.

Manuka Phuel Nexus Stage Line Up

Altercation X Erin G | Auckland
Tamaki Makaurau-based singer-songwriter, Erin G, and Queenstown DJ/Producer Altercation will team up to dive into new sonic territory with their EP, Dream it Again, a poignant EP which captures Erin G’s intimate storytelling alongside Altercation’s soulful side of drum and bass.

Cordian | Auckland
An alternative/progressive rock group from Auckland, the band consists of Mike Raven (Guitars/Keys, Kris Raven (Drums/Percussion, Nick Raven (Bass) and Dity Maharaj (Vocals/Artwork).

Imani-J | Nelson
Haitian-New Zealand artist, Imani-J is crafting music that sits at the intersection of Afrofusion and R&B. An artist in the truest sense of the word, Imani-J is a singer, songwriter, dancer, and performer with a strong vision for her future.

PRINS | Auckland
PRINS is a New Zealand-born pop artist carving out a bold, international lane with sleek pop hooks, sharp visuals, and a live show built for scale. Blending high-energy pop with a darker, confident edge, her sound sits comfortably alongside RAYE, Selena Gomez, Tate McRae, and Ashnikko, polished, emotionally charged, and unapologetically modern.

Verity | Hamilton
Known for her deeply honest storytelling and blend of pop, soul, and R&B, vocalist, performer and social media star, Verity started her musical journey in Hamilton, Kirikiriroa and continues to carve out a sound that is raw, real and unmistakably her own.

Wet Denim | Wellington
Four-piece rock pop band from Wellington, Wet Denim established themselves as a must-see live act in the Australasian scenes. The group’s sound is a blend of captivating vocals, lush guitar chords, syrupy basslines, and hard-hitting drums.

The festival will be held in Hamilton for the first time in 2026, kicking off on Saturday, 14 March at Claudelands Oval.

About Jim Beam Homegrown

Jim Beam Homegrown is New Zealand’s largest Kiwi-only music festival, celebrating the best of Aotearoa’s musical talent. Established in 2008 in Hamilton, initially as X*Air, an extreme sports festival, Jim Beam Homegrown showcases a wide range of genres, including rock, funk, pop, reggae, hip-hop, and electronic music.  

Tickets to the inaugural Hamilton event can be found at www.homegrown.net.nz

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/26/events-jim-beam-homegrown-announces-emerging-artists-to-perform-at-2026-festival/

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A Fresh Take on Modern Continental: JIN Gastrobar at Mid Valley Southkey JB Reveals Its Latest Menu

Source: Media Outreach

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 February 2026 – First established in 2019, JIN Gastrobar introduces a refreshed take on modern continental cuisine, bringing together thoughtfully crafted dishes, curated gin selections, and signature cocktails in a warm, contemporary setting. Conveniently located within Aurum Theatre at The Gardens Mall and Mid Valley Southkey JB, the restaurant welcomes diners without the need for a movie ticket, making it an accessible dining destination for both moviegoers and dine-in guests alike.

JIN Gastrobar’s new menu includes a variety of intercontinental mains such as grilled meats and fish, delectable pastas, desserts, and not forgetting JIN Gastrobar’s signature cocktails and mocktails.

Inspired by a play on the words “Jin,” meaning gold in Mandarin, and “Gin,” one of its signature pours, JIN Gastrobar was created as a space where food, drinks, and meaningful moments come together. The space is designed to suit every occasion, from intimate date nights and quality time with loved ones to casual gatherings and solo indulgence.

A Prelude of Flavours

The refreshed menu begins with a variety of appetisers, including sharing platters, starters, soups, and salads designed to offer warmth and balance. Highlights include:

  • Chargrilled Octopus (RM68)
  • Canadian Atlantic Lobster Roll (RM58)
  • Trio of Fries (RM32)

Mains from Land and Sea

The main course selection spans grilled meats, fresh seafood, and comforting pastas, offering something for every palate. Amongst a range of selections, diners can choose from:

  • Linguine al Mentaiko (RM35)
  • JIN’s Wagyu Burger (RM48)
  • Smoked Duck Carbonara (RM40)
  • O’Connor’s Black Angus Ribeye (250g) (RM125)
  • Wild-Caught Mediterranean Grilled Branzino (Whole Fish) (RM98)

Complementary sides such as russet steak fries, sautéed spinach, sautéed mushrooms, truffled mashed potatoes, and Peruvian asparagus with broccolini are available, priced from RM15 to RM35.

Desserts and Signature Sips

To end on a sweet note, guests can enjoy desserts including Classic Tiramisu (RM25), Chocolate Brûlée, Lime and Lychee Mousse (RM25), and Apple Crumble with Ice Cream.

features signature cocktails (RM50 each) with flavour profiles such as olive, pineapple, calamansi, and lychee. Non-alcoholic mocktails include Peach Sunrise, Pineapple Passion, Calamansi Fizz, Elderflower Fizz, and Virgin Mojito.

Dine & Post, Get Rewarded

From 21 January 2026 to 21 March 2026, the first 300 GSC Rewards members who dine in and post an Instagram Story tagging @jingastrobar will receive a complimentary mocktail.

  1. Dine in at JIN Gastrobar.
  2. Post an Instagram Story and tag @jingastrobar.
  3. Present the Story to staff to redeem a complimentary mocktail.

JIN Gastrobar operates daily from 11:00am to 10:00pm at The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur and Mid Valley South Key, Johor Bahru

With its refreshed menu and inviting ambience, JIN Gastrobar offers a versatile dining space suited for every occasion.

For further updates, stay tuned to JIN Gastrobar’s social media channels: https://www.instagram.com/jingastrobar/?hl=en

https://www.jingastrobar.com.my/#/
https://www.instagram.com/jingastrobar/?hl=en

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/2026/02/25/a-fresh-take-on-modern-continental-jin-gastrobar-at-mid-valley-southkey-jb-reveals-its-latest-menu/

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Environment – EPA approves biological control agent to combat invasive Chilean flame creeper

Source: Environmental Protection Authority

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has approved the release of a leaf-feeding beetle (Blaptea elguetai) as a biological control agent to combat Chilean flame creeper (Tropaeolum speciosum), an invasive weed in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Chilean flame creeper is an invasive pest plant that spreads quickly and smothers native plants. It is now a threat in many regions, especially Southland, Otago, and Canterbury. It can be found on Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. It is also becoming a problem plant in Manawatū-Whanganui.
Environment Southland, on behalf of the National Biocontrol Collective, applied to import the beetle as removing the weed by hand or using herbicides is not very effective, takes a lot of time, and can harm nearby plants.
EPA Acting Manager of New Organisms and International Applications, Peter Day, says the leaf-feeding beetle offers a low-maintenance solution that can reach areas that are hard to access.
“The decision to approve introduction of this organism was made by an independent decision-making committee, which follows a rigorous, evidence-based assessment.
“The risk assessment provided by the applicant showed that the Chilean flame creeper leaf beetle is highly unlikely to harm native plants or animals. It also does not bite or sting, so there is no health risk to people.”
Mr Day says the decision followed public consultation, engagement with mana whenua, and consideration of international best practice.
“New Zealand has a strong track record of using biological control agents to manage invasive weeds with minimal impact on native ecosystems.”
In recent years the EPA has approved other biocontrol agents for weeds such as Darwin’s barberry, purple loosestrife, old man’s beard, Sydney golden wattle, and moth plant.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/24/environment-epa-approves-biological-control-agent-to-combat-invasive-chilean-flame-creeper/