LiveNews – Page 89 – MIL-OSI Export

March 12, 2026

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.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/12/snow-ice-and-performance-2026-changan-global-testing-season-arrives-in-europe-with-back-to-back-winter-events/

March 12, 2026

Cornwall Park’s farm week gives Aucklanders a taste of farm life in the central city

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cornwall Park is home to 300 ewes. Cornwall Park

Aucklanders can get a taste of the country in their own back yard this weekend as Cornwall Park opens up its working farm.

Established in 1844 the farm currently has 300 perindale ewes and 60 head of cattle.

Farm manager Peter Maxwell said while the public could walk through the farm whenever they like – it was opening its gates for ‘Farm Week’.

The week long celebration starting on Saturday would include ‘moo-sic in the park’ where the public could chill and listen to music with the cows, a farm walk and kids would be able to check out the farm machinery.

Maxwell said a favourite part of his job was interacting with the public.

“Lots of people ask questions, the other day someone asked where the animals are trucked to every night, I don’t think people realise they are born here and live here, this is a working farm.”

He said running a farm in the middle of the country’s biggest city obviously meant it had some different logistics to other farms.

“It’s a park so people walk their dogs through here, if they are off the leash it can cause some issues, then there’s a lot more noise and fireworks but the animals get used to that pretty quickly.

“The farm is integral to the park and what makes it unique. We’re confident that having a working farm in the middle of a city is rare around the world. We haven’t found many examples in our research so far – certainly not one as long standing as Cornwall Park Farm.”

Maxwell is hopeful ‘Farm Week’ would encourage an interest in farming for city kids.

“We know by the numbers coming to our farm walks that there’s a strong interest in the farm and how it works. Given we’re a primary producing country – and rural life is the backbone of New Zealand – it it’s no surprise people are interested in the farm.”

One of the 60 cows who call Cornwall Park home. Cornwall Park

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/12/cornwall-parks-farm-week-gives-aucklanders-a-taste-of-farm-life-in-the-central-city/

March 12, 2026

Heinz Watties restructure will have ripple effect, Employers and Manufacturers Association says

Source: Radio New Zealand

Heinz Watties has proposed a major job shake-up. Supplied / Heinz Watties

The Employers and Manufacturers Association believes there will be a ripple effect right across the country if Heinz Watties goes ahead with its major shake-up.

The company wants to shut its plants in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin and stop the production of a number of products, including frozen vegetables.

The association’s head of advocacy Alan McDonald was surprised by the news.

Employers and Manufacturers Association head of advocacy Alan McDonald. RNZ / Dan Cook

“The growers, they’ve got pretty extensive distribution networks, so they will be impacted in some way or form and that’ll ripple out through those communities as well.

“And it’s been a long-standing brand in New Zealand, so people will probably miss it.”

McDonald said the news would be soul-destroying for some whānau.

“In some of those manufacturing businesses and things like the meatworks and stuff and dairy factories, you get multi-generational people working in those areas and those businesses, so it’s pretty tough on a lot of families.”

McDonald said he hoped that some of the 350 staff at risk could be redeployed into the company to lessen the impact, especially on regional communities.

Heinz Watties said further redeployment opportunities would be investigated throughout the course of the year in line with the phased site closures.

It said it would continue to invest in operations, marketing and research and development, to strengthen its resilience and secure long-term growth.

Redundancy packages, career transition and outplacement services, counselling and wellbeing support would be offered to employees.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/12/heinz-watties-restructure-will-have-ripple-effect-employers-and-manufacturers-association-says/

March 12, 2026

One in three households struggled for food in past year, Hunger Monitor report finds

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand Food Network CEO Gavin Findlay points out the imperfection on a donated apple that would have led to it being graded out of supermarket supply. Bonnie Harrison

A new report showing one in three households have struggled to access affordable, nutritious food in the past year has come as a surprise even to the charities putting food on tables.

The Hunger Monitor is the country’s first comprehensive tally of food insecurity and will serve as a benchmark for annual updates.

It surveyed 3000 people late last year.

From its warehouse in Manukau, South Auckland Christian Foodbank delivered 40,000 food parcels last year and chief executive Ian Foster said that number was climbing.

“I can remember in Covid we were doing 100 a day and we thought how the heck are we doing that, this year we’ve averaged 177 a day.”

He founded the foodbank 18 years ago.

“What we’re seeing more of now is budgeters have done everything they can but people simply do not have enough money because their income has not increased anywhere near living costs,” Foster said.

“Until we turn that around, we’ve got a major problem.”

He was surprised to learn one in three households had struggled to afford food in the past year – they did not all turn up at food banks.

The Hunger Monitor also found nearly one in five households, 18 percent, had experienced severe food insecurity in that time.

It was commissioned by the New Zealand Food Network, a collection of foodbanks and food rescue charities. Its chief executive Gavin Findlay said the numbers are startling.

“I did find it confronting and a little bit surprising, based on our own previous research and anecdotal evicence from our hubs we knew there was an issue but I think the scale and scope of it across demographics, across income levels, was surprising.”

New Zealand Food Network chief executive Gavin Findlay (R) being interviewed in the charity’s south Auckland warehouse in 2022. Bonnie Harrison

Nearly half of low-income households faced food insecurity and just under a third of full-time workers experienced food insecurity.

High income houses with debt were not immune to struggles at the supermarket.

“Even at high income levels, over $156,000 household income, you’ve got 12 percent who are indicating that they’ve had some form of food insecurity. You just never would have thought that was possible.”

Findlay said the report was an important benchmark.

“We now absolutely know that there is an issue, we need to continue what we’re doing in terms of supporting those that need food support. We may even need to do more.”

The survey showed two-thirds, 68 percent of households that struggled to afford food had experienced that for the first time last year and that many were hesitant to access food support, citing shame or embarrassment as the reason.

Vision West provided food parcels, ran a social supermarket, and offered a free community lunch once a week.

Its director of partnerships Brook Turner said demand for food became evident during the pandemic but there had been a 50 percent jump in households approaching it for help since this time last year.

“I just don’t understand why food isn’t seen as a legitimate need. I get that we need to have benefits that are enough that people have enough to put food on the table, that’s always going to be the first choice that mum should be able to go to the grocery store and buy food for her kids but that’s not the reality.”

He said the Hunger Monitor showed that hunger was an entrenched issue that New Zealand was facing.

Vision West director of partnerships Brook Turner. Supplied

Henderson Budget Service chief executive Tracey Phillips said it was working with 200 families and got around 60 new referrals a month.

“Whānau with children have got under $100 left over at the end of the week after they’ve paid some of those other bills, paid their rent, paid their power, put some fuel in the car to get to work. It’s tough.”

She said in the five years she had been at the budgeting service, the need had become more widespread because incomes were not keeping up with basic costs.

“It used to be people who weren’t working and were going through just a bit of a rough patch needing that temporary support, whereas now there’s working whānau that are really struggling to put food on the table,” Phillips said.

“Cost of living has driven the cost of food up but wages and benefits are not keeping up with that so there’s just a disconnect between the amount of money that’s coming in versus what’s needed just to put food on the table.”

Turner said the need for foodbanks was evident.

“We need emergency food for people who fall through the system and I hope the government can hear that.”

Vision West is among food charities that are asking government to extend their funding beyond June this year, or they risk reducing their services or closing.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/12/one-in-three-households-struggled-for-food-in-past-year-hunger-monitor-report-finds/

March 12, 2026

As Covid hits again, New Zealand confronts its pandemic past

Source: Radio New Zealand

As the final report on how New Zealand handled the Covid-19 pandemic is released, a ninth wave of the virus is hitting communities. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

A deadly Covid wave returns, just as New Zealand gets its final pandemic report card

Another wave of Covid-19 is circulating again through New Zealand communities, pushing up hospitalisations and deaths, and reminding Kiwis of a time they hoped was a distant memory.

The arrival of the ninth wave coincides with the delivery of the long-awaited final report card on how New Zealand handled the Covid pandemic.

Health experts say wastewater monitoring suggests community transmission is at its highest level in more than six months, and already in a single week, 50 hospitalisations and 19 deaths linked to the virus have been reported, underscoring that the virus remains one of the country’s most serious infectious diseases.

“It’s going to be infecting thousands of people every day, giving some people long Covid and obviously putting people in hospital and killing some people,” epidemiologist and Professor of Public Health Michael Baker tells The Detail.

“So, it’s still our most important and infectious disease. It’s still ahead of influenza, which, in the past, was our most impactful infection. So, we need to take it seriously.

Professor Michael Baker Supplied / Department of Public Health

He says the latest surge appears to be driven largely by waning immunity and declining booster uptake, rather than a dramatically new variant.

“It’s just the dynamics between the virus that wants to infect us and our own immunity, which is usually very good at stopping it. But when the virus gets an edge, then we get more cases.

“The most likely cause is that it’s quite a long time since many people were last infected, but even more important, people are not getting their boosters, so they are missing that opportunity to top up their antibodies.”

He puts that down to complacency.

“I think that really summarises it. And there is an element of not wanting to think about it because for many people it was a very difficult time in their lives … people want to put it in their rearview mirror and move on.

“[But] we can’t afford to not think about this virus and act on it.”

Unlike earlier surges, he says this wave is not being tracked by mass testing.

In part, because rapid antigen tests are no longer free and fewer people are reporting results, meaning official case numbers capture only a fraction of infections.

Instead, health authorities are relying on hospital admissions and wastewater analysis to get a clearer picture of the situation.

“We have still got very good surveillance systems that are not affected by how much energy people have to do that [test]”, says Professor Baker, who advises New Zealanders to test, get a booster, wear a mask if necessary, and isolate for five days if positive.

Just as the virus surges again, the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Covid-19 has been released – an extensive examination of how New Zealand navigated the crisis.

“Overall, this report concludes that Aotearoa New Zealand did well in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. On the whole, the decisions taken and methods used during the Covid-19 response were considered and appropriate,” the commissioners wrote.

“We have also identified where they were lacking. New Zealand’s response strategy and settings weren’t always sufficiently responsive to changing circumstances; for example, they weren’t adapted early enough to deal with later variants of the virus. At a time when speed was often critical, some decisions had to be made without enough information and data, or without sufficient consideration of all the impacts that might arise, or without important checks and monitoring.”

The commission has issued recommendations aimed at strengthening New Zealand’s response to future pandemics, which Baker welcomes.

“They are great documents, we have now got a lot of really good recommendations, very good analysis of the issues.

“So, I think the challenge now is to act on these recommendations and do it quickly because we could get another pandemic of the intensity of Covid-19, any day, or we could get something much worse.”

He says the elimination strategy was “highly successful – it basically kept us largely Covid-free for a couple of years while people got vaccinated … we have got a lot to be grateful for.”

The government isn’t as impressed, highlighting that the report notes that Auckland was kept in lockdown, despite receiving advice that restrictions could end sooner.

“When you look at the report, it’s pretty equivocal on most of these points; it’s saying the decision makers were doing the best they could with incomplete information,” Professor Baker says.

“You could argue, in hindsight perhaps, that lockdowns in Auckland should have been ended sooner, but you have to do what we call a counter-factual analysis, and what would that have looked like?

“And we would have had Delta, the Delta outbreak, which was being controlled in Auckland, spreading throughout the country. It was much more harmful than Omicron, which came after that.

“It might have put a real dampener on business and social activities over that summer period for the whole country.”

Six years after the first case arrived in the country, the virus remains a persistent threat – even as the country continues to debate how it handled the original crisis.

And as this latest wave shows, Covid-19 is not just a chapter in New Zealand’s past. It remains part of its future.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/12/as-covid-hits-again-new-zealand-confronts-its-pandemic-past/

March 12, 2026

Can you really turn into a tree when you die?

Source: Radio New Zealand

Would you like to be a tree when you die? Or would you like to be an AI chatbot hologram?

There is a widening spectrum for how to dispose of our bodies after we die and how we will be grieved and remembered. Dr Hannah Gould, a death expert and Australian academic, recently wrote the book How to Die in the 21st Century.

In it, she covers everything from the greenest way to go to whether AI chatbots can really help with grief, exploring these subjects from a philosophical and practical perspective with a dose of humour.

Gould recently took questions from RNZ’s Nine to Noon listeners and host Kathryn Ryan.

Supplied

?

Probably the biggest trend to shape the funeral sector in the last couple of years is this trend towards personalisation. So having a funeral ceremony, but also a memorial, a grave or a cremation or a burial, whatever it is that reflects the kind of personality and kind of authentic, I suppose, beliefs and practices of the dead in life. Making sure, for example, even the smallest things like having the food that they liked at the funeral or playing the songs that they liked and an orientation towards the individual as opposed to towards, for example, the religious tradition towards God, towards the community.

Those things exist, but personalisation has become almost the number one value of the funeral ceremony. It was a good funeral if Mum had liked it, if the person who died had approved of it.

How do I talk to my family about my wishes for when I die?

Gateway Funerals

Do people want to become trees?

It is possible to become a tree in some sense, and there are a number of companies that are now offering this. But if you’re thinking that maybe you will place a beautiful little sapling on the coffin and then put someone six feet under, you will kill the tree… I hate to have to tell people this.

… if you have a lot of ashes in a very small area, so a high concentration, the pH levels and some of the chemical composition of those ashes can probably do a little bit more harm than good to the natural environment. There are ways around that. There are different ways of treating remains.

Can you really turn into a tree when you die?

Nine To Noon

What is a composting burial?

[Compost burial involves using organic material and microbes to speed up the decomposition process to within 30 to 60 days, essential turning the body into soil]

This is a new technology that came out of the US and is quite popular in Seattle. I think they’ve got up to nine or 10 American states where it’s now legalised. There have been some moves to legalise it, both within New Zealand and Australia.

My understanding is that this is mostly a problem of legislative change. There would have to be a legislative change in order to have that made legal. Then, there’s also another technical question: Australia and New Zealand have rather different flora and fauna, both to each other, but also to the US. So there is a question of how you would make that happen.

Can I be buried in a field or forest in a canvas sack or cardboard box?

That’s probably the “greenest” way to go. Not to be embalmed, not to have any of these other preserving techniques and to go in a biodegradable sack or whatever it is, and to be put into land. Even better would be if that grave could be recycled in, say, 20 to 30 years, when your earthly remains are no longer here.

The part of the problem we have in many places is that we have an in perpetuity system of burial. Once it’s a grave, it’s always a grave, and then you want to think about land use as part of that ecological calculation. But natural burial is a very green way to go.

Can I start up a private cemetery?

It is a lot harder than simply opening up your paddock to burials, and the number one question I often get is people wanting to be buried on their own land, on private land.

… That is generally quite a difficult thing to do because of that longevity question. So is this a grave on private land? What happens if you were to sell that land? Or what would happen if, [in] a few generations, the government wants to buy back that land or whatever it is, you have to really start thinking about those questions and that can become quite difficult.

How do I decide who to invite to my assisted dying event?

I think if you’re going to be present, you get to do the guest list. This is completely up to you. Feel no obligation to invite anyone you don’t want to.

This is just your people, the people that you want to be there. After you go, they can have a funeral, and you can invite all the colleagues and other people that you feel obligated to, but I think if you’re going to have the guts and have the bravery to have your own funeral, it really should be exactly how you want it to be.

How can I tell my family what I want when I die?

…You just need to do a little bit of pre-planning. And that can actually be you yourself going to the provider and saying, “This is what I’d like to happen for me. I’d like my family to not to have to fret about it. What can we put in place while I’m alive for that to happen?”

… This is one of the things: the more thinking about death we can do when we’re healthy and alive, and the more conversations we can have with our friends and family, the less of a burden that becomes when we do die.

What’s the latest on AI recreations of lost loved ones?

Mostly they’ve been created as one-offs for TV programmes or for research projects… [You] feed all the data that we have about you into an AI system and create a hologram where you can chat with it after death.

There hasn’t been a lot of good research about the impacts of this on long-term grief outcomes. Mostly because they’re so hard to create, and they’re also very controversial.

I would absolutely hate it – I’m trying to say this in as many public forums as possible – please do not make me into a hologram after I die. I don’t want to be brought back to life through ChatGPT. They’re quite controversial, both in regard to the dead person’s right to be dead, their right to be forgotten, their right not to be resurrected digitally, and also in terms of the family members all agreeing to it.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/12/can-you-really-turn-into-a-tree-when-you-die/

March 12, 2026

Outgoing MP Peeni Henare on being Māori, a politician, and why he’s walking away from the Labour Party

Source: Radio New Zealand

Peeni Henare stands in Matangireia at Parliament. RNZ / Lillian Hanly

Outgoing Labour MP Peeni Henare says he is ready to “see the back of this place”, as he prepares to leave both Parliament and the party who gave him an “opportunity” after 12 years.

“You can only try your best, and I believe I’ve done that,” he said in a sitdown interview with RNZ during his final week as a Labour MP, revealing the most difficult times for him were balancing “being Māori” and “being a politician”.

Henare said he had “mixed emotions” during his last days in Parliament, and said it was the “human connections” in the place that made him feel sad this week.

He had connections across the House, enjoying good relationships with members from all parties, saying that was a testament to how he conducted himself politically, “that’s always been my style”.

He also had connections with the security guards, earlier this week he thanked them for leaving kina in his fridge.

“I’ve had a lot of people from all different walks of life, inside and outside of Parliament, talking about how sad they are to see me leave politics, some even hope that I might change my mind,” he said.

Asked whether anyone in the Labour leadership had asked him to change his mind, he responded: “There’s always conversations with the Labour leadership, but my mind’s pretty made up”.

Peeni Henare is congratulated after his valedictory speech. RNZ / Lillian Hanly

The resignation

Henare’s shock resignation was announced at Waitangi, after he confirmed he was not contesting the Tāmaki Makaurau seat.

Following a messy media briefing with Labour leader Chris Hipkins, Henare announced he was calling time on his 12-year Parliamentary career, citing exhaustion and a desire to spend more time focusing on his family and future.

Hipkins, who initially refused to answer questions about the resignation, denied the announcement had been bungled, but it did not stop questions being asked about the circumstances.

At the time, New Zealand First Deputy leader Shane Jones, and a relation of Henare’s, expressed his surprise at the retirement.

He said he wanted to find out what had happened and that the “kumara vine” would inform him.

Ahead of Henare’s valedictory on Wednesday, Jones said he no longer wanted to speculate.

“That was a word said at Waitangi, and the god of wind has blown those words long way into the distance,” Jones said.

Asked if he thought Labour regretted letting Henare go, he said Henare was not the first Māori that Labour “forced out”, having left the party himself in 2014.

New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones expressed surprise when he heard of Henare’s retirement. RNZ / Mark Papalii

‘Maybe I should have been more of a Māori’ – Henare

In Henare’s maiden speech in 2014, he referred to Dr Pita Sharples of Te Pāti Māori, who had not been re-elected, saying “I have taken up the paddle of the vessel that you left behind”.

Asked about this, Henare said he believed every Māori had a bit of Te Pāti Māori in them. He described marching in the Foreshore and Seabed hīkoi in 2004, and more recently the Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi.

“I’m Māori to the core, but I make no bones about it – Labour gave me an opportunity, and one that I was fortunate to have.”

Surprising too perhaps given his family had been tied to the National Party.

“I ultimately chose Labour, and have worked hard for 12 years with them.”

He has held multiple ministerial portfolios, such as ACC, Civil Defence, Whānau Ora, Defence, Forestry, Tourism, Veterans and Youth Development, as well as various roles in opposition.

He was also the only Labour MP to be sent to the Privileges Committee as part of the haka Te Pāti Māori started in the house over the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill.

He was most proud of securing a significant boost of funding for Whānau Ora. In his valedictory speech on Wednesday, he described the establishment of the Māori Health Authority as a “crowning moment”.

Asked if he had any regrets from his time in Parliament, he referred to the Covid-19 pandemic response and questioned whether he had made the right decision at times.

“It was hurtful at that time, those decisions around burial and tikanga Māori and things like that were always quite difficult.”

Another “particularly challenging time” was Ihumātao he said, when he had to “dance on the head of a pin, if you like, as a politician and as a Māori”.

“I walked away from there thinking, maybe I should have been more of a Māori.”

On walking that fine line within the Labour party, he acknowledged it was challenging, however, the feeling of isolation or inability to express “your Māoritanga to its fullest” was a challenge for any Māori MP.

But because of the roles he had held in the past, and also the burden of his whakapapa (ancestry), it meant he would question “is Peeni the Māori today, or is he the politician?”

He did have fond memories of times when he was well supported in the Labour party and able to “progress kaupapa”, so it was a “bit of give and take”.

Peeni Henare (L), then Labour MP for Tamaki Makaurau, listens to speeches at Ihumātao in 2022. RNZ

The Māori vote

Last election, Labour lost six out of the seven Māori seats. He said there was strategising taking place to win them back.

“No doubt about it, we’ve got work to do” he said, on winning the Māori vote.

“My message is always the same for Māori in the Labour Party, don’t rebuild for the election.

“Rebuild with a view towards securing the Māori vote for the next 10 to 20 years.”

He said Willie Jackson, co-chair of the Māori caucus, did a good job of talking about Labour’s key areas of focus this year (jobs, health, homes), while also listening to what Māori wanted to see from a potential Labour government, “he’s a political animal”.

“But be under no illusion, the 2026 election is going to be a tough one.”

Asked whether the turmoil Te Pāti Māori faced last year was the reason Labour was in with a chance in the Māori seats this year, Henare said that was part of it.

He reflected on his success in 2014 being partly because the “tide was going out on Te Pāti Māori” because of their association with the National Party.

Peeni Henare stands in Matangireia at Parliament. RNZ / Lillian Hanly

‘My time was done’ – Henare

Last year, Henare lost for a second time to Te Pāti Māori in a by-election for the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate seat.

He had been honest about how bruising the loss was, and there were questions about whether he would run for the seat again.

He said there were ongoing conversations about how he was feeling and his career, and ultimately the party asked him to consider it all.

“There comes a time where you should call your time on your career and allow others to push the kaupapa forward.

“I decided my time was done.”

He described personal reasons, such as his family, for the decisions, but also that no one’s time in politics was infinite.

Hipkins was asked by RNZ on Tuesday this week whether he had any regrets that Henare was leaving. He said he was “very fond of Peeni”.

“I’m always sad to see any of my colleagues go, and I’ll be sad to see him go.”

Asked if the Labour leadership told Henare there was not a place for him, Hipkins maintained what he had said all along, that it was “Peeni’s decision”.

Chris Hipkins (R) and Peeni Henare, pictured in 2023. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

What’s next?

He had his eyes set on putting his experience, knowledge, connections and talent to work for his iwi, Ngāpuhi.

“Continuing to progress the kaupapa of my people and the wellbeing and interests of my people – that’s a calling that’s always been there for me.”

That could potentially take the form of being a negotiator for the Ngāpuhi treaty settlement, “Without being presumptuous – I think there’s an opportunity.”

On whether the Treaty Negotiation Minister had approached him, Henare said there had been nothing official, “he knows my number, when I leave this place – feel free to give me a call”.

Minister Paul Goldsmith told RNZ he would “have a chat” with Henare.

“I’ve got big challenge to find a way through to a settlement with Ngāpuhi, and I’ve got good Crown negotiators, but there may be a role somewhere in there for Peeni, he’s a real leader.”

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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/2026/03/12/outgoing-mp-peeni-henare-on-being-maori-a-politician-and-why-hes-walking-away-from-the-labour-party/

March 12, 2026

Indonesia Highlights Forest Governance and Traceability System in Dialogue with Japanese Energy Companies

Source: Media Outreach

JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 March 2026 – The Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia reaffirmed the country‘s commitment to sustainable forest governance and transparent supply chains during a meeting with representatives from Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. and Hanwa Co., Ltd. at the Ministry‘s office on Wednesday (March 4).

Official Meeting on Sustainable Forestry The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry receives representatives from Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. and Hanwa Co., Ltd.—key buyers of wood pellets from PT Biomasa Jaya Abadi

The meeting was part of Indonesia‘s ongoing engagement with international partners to strengthen mutual understanding of sustainable forest management and the governance framework underpinning Indonesia‘s forest-based industries, including the emerging biomass sector.

Ade Mukadi, Director of Forest Product Processing and Marketing Development at the Ministry of Forestry, emphasized that Indonesia continues to strengthen its forest governance architecture to ensure that forest utilization is conducted responsibly and in accordance with national regulations and sustainability principles.

“Indonesia has established a comprehensive forest governance framework that integrates legality assurance, sustainability standards, and independent verification. We continue to enhance this system to ensure transparency, accountability, and supply chain integrity,” Ade stated.

Official Dialogue with Ministry of Forestry’s Ade Mukadi (second left), Director of Forest Product Processing and Market, and Tony Rianto (second right), Head of the Sub-Directorate, meet with Tokyo Gas and Hanwa representatives

Tokyo Gas and Hanwa are buyers of wood pellets produced by PT Biomasa Jaya Abadi (PT BJA), which operates in Pohuwato Regency, Gorontalo Province. Tony Rianto, Head of the Sub-Directorate for Forest Product Certification and Marketing, explained that Indonesia‘s forest governance system is guided by four key pillars: sustainable forest management that balances ecological, social, and economic functions; transparency and accountability; regulatory compliance; and respect for indigenous peoples and local communities.

Central to this framework is Indonesia‘s Timber Legality and Sustainability Verification System (SVLK), a national assurance system ensuring that forest products originate from legal and sustainably managed sources. The system covers the entire supply chain—from harvesting and transportation to processing and export—and is implemented through independent verification bodies accredited to audit forest operators, industries, and exporters.

Furthermore, Indonesia continues to enhance the system in line with evolving global market expectations, including the development of geolocation-based monitoring at harvesting sites and the digitalization of transport and export documentation.

These measures are designed to strengthen traceability and support compliance with emerging international due diligence requirements, such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

During the meeting, discussions also covered Indonesia‘s forest utilization planning framework, including the Annual Work Plan (RKT), which regulates harvesting activities under approved long-term forest management plans and incorporates biodiversity safeguards and conservation measures.

The Ministry reaffirmed that forest utilization activities are subject to rigorous regulatory oversight and monitoring mechanisms to ensure compliance with environmental safeguards and sustainable forest management practices.

The meeting followed an earlier discussion between Tokyo Gas and Hanwa and the Pohuwato Regency Government on Monday (March 2). Regent Syaiful A.

Mbuinga confirmed that PT BJA has fulfilled all licensing requirements, operates legally, and contributes to the local economy by employing more than 1,500 workers.

Investment in Pohuwato, including from PT BJA, has contributed to regional economic growth of around 9%, with the local government maintaining strict oversight of investment activities in the region.

Hashtag: #TirtoIndonesia

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/2026/03/12/indonesia-highlights-forest-governance-and-traceability-system-in-dialogue-with-japanese-energy-companies/

March 12, 2026

Seven things that got cheaper while prices rose

Source: Radio New Zealand

Some things have become cheaper over the past 10 years. RNZ

Sometimes it seems as though everything is just continually getting more expensive – especially when war in the Middle East sparks major inflation warnings.

But some things have become cheaper over the past 10 years, according to Stats NZ.

In comparison, general inflation as measured by the consumer price index, was up about 35 percent over the period.

Here are seven.

Audio-visual equipment – down 77 percent, telecommunication equipment – down 67 percent, computing equipment – down 51 percent

Economist Shamubeel Eaqub said it was not surprising that technology-related items topped the list.

“The way it’s recorded in the consumer price index (CPI) is it’s quality adjusted … there are two things going on. One is the actual price of the product, and the other is the improvement of quality of the product. Both of those things are happening at a great pace, particularly in things like technology.

“Computer equipment, telecommunications, audiovisual, those things are getting better over time and they have been relatively constant or falling in price so it’s the twin force that comes through.”

Economist Shamubeel Eaqub.

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen agreed.

“It’s not that the actual price of a computer has halved it’s more that what you get from the computer is a whole lot better. On a quality adjusted basis a decade ago your computer could do a lot but it wasn’t as smart, it didn’t have as many tips and tricks and everything else in it. Now, for probably relatively the same dollar price, you’re getting quite a bit more in terms of what it can achieve.

“It’s similar with telecommunications equipment – the clear example there is mobile phones. The quality adjustment there is enormous.

“Every year phones get a better camera, they get faster processing. In recent times, they’ve had AI interactions and a whole lot of other stuff besides.”

A display of new Apple iPhones. AFP / Nic Coury

Direct credit service charges – down 30 percent

Olsen said banks had cut a number of fees in recent years.

“Effectively, the overall aggregate average for those direct credit fees are becoming smaller.

“A lot of people don’t pay the various fees at their bank unless they’re in a very particular type of account.

“Those that do … banks do try to lower those over time. So you’re not having to pay $5 every time you log into your bank account just to see your balance or anything.

“Effectively you are seeing those various banking transaction fees more generally pull back over time.”

Pharmaceutical products – down 10 percent

The removal of the prescription fee was cited as a big driver of the drop in pharmaceutical product prices.

“We don’t pay a lot for medicines in New Zealand,” Eaqub said.

Olsen said Pharmac’s suite of drugs was also expanding.

“You’d probably expect that to broadly continue … there’s a lot of expensive drugs around the world that New Zealanders are looking for. Government doesn’t have an endless bucket of money, but Pharmac does drive pretty good value in those areas, which is important, I think, for the overall costs that households might have to cope with.”

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Purchase of new cars – down 4 percent

Eaqub said cars could be affected by a lack of demand.

Olsen said there was also a compositional shift and quality shift reflected in the data. “You’re getting much more efficient vehicles over time, their technology is of a higher standard and there are more safety features.

“Over time as well we have seen, certainly in the last couple of years, a bit of a focus around some of those cheaper entry models that are coming through.

“Some of the prices have been lower particularly over the last couple of years when you look at how many vehicles are being pumped out around the world and that sort of oversupply, particularly coming out of China, has been limiting price increases to a degree.

Early childhood education – down 3 percent

The introduction of the Family Boost policy, which covers a portion of many households’ childcare costs, may have been responsible for this drop.

Olsen said, overall, the data showed that it was unusual to see an outright fall in sticker prices.

“The closest example would be if Stats NZ was still looking at the price of, say, DVD players, they would probably have fallen 90-plus percent because there’s no demand.

“If you want an old vintage one you are probably getting it for $2 at the op shop or something … compared to what it might have originally retailed for. A lot of the time those that fall out of favour and which would have implicitly have had a big price plunge because there is no demand for them anymore, we just don’t collect the prices because they aren’t something that people buy.”

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/12/seven-things-that-got-cheaper-while-prices-rose/

March 12, 2026

Hawke’s Bay human trafficker Joseph Matamata loses sentence bid

Source: Radio New Zealand

Joseph Matamata in court. RNZ/ Anusha Bradley

New Zealand’s most notorious slavedriver and trafficker has failed in a bid to have his sentence shortened.

Joseph Matamata was jailed for 11 years in 2020 for using 13 people as slaves and 10 charges of human trafficking.

But the Court of Appeal has set aside two of the trafficking convictions, because the attorney general had not given delegation for a decision on those charges being brought.

The court had previously ruled the 11 year term imposed by Justice Helen Cull was ‘lenient in the circumstances’, and declined to cut it down further.

“We are satisfied that the outcome of the recall application should not impact Mr Matamata’s sentence,” said the Court of Appeal judges in yesterday’s decision.

“The number of convictions was a very minor consideration in setting the starting point and was just one of many considerations. Cull J also considered the extent of the emotional and financial harm caused to the victims, the abuse of Mr Matamata’s position of trust and authority in relation to the victims, the number of victims (which remains unchanged), the vulnerability of the victims and the high level of premeditation”

Matamata has served his minimum term of imprisonment of five years. The parole board twice refused him parole last year and he is due to reappear before the panel in June.

The 71-year-old brought people from Samoa to New Zealand to supply labour to orchards in Hawke’s Bay over 25 years from 1994 to 2019, promising them a better life.

But he kept their wages, restricted their movements and communications, and used threats or violence to control them.

They worked up to 14 hours a day in the fields, seven days a week, completing chores at Matamata’s home late into the evening and beaten up if they broke rules, including speaking to their families in Samoa or leaving his Hastings home without permission.

The oldest victim was in his 50s and the youngest was just 12. The boy described being beaten, stabbed and fed stale food.

“When the bamboo stick breaks, then it’s the belt,” he told police. “When he gets a sore hand from the belt, from holding the belt, then that’s when the stick comes.”

Matamata denied a nine-foot fence around his property was to lock his slaves in. Immigration New Zealand “conservatively estimated” he kept more than $400,000 in wages they had earned.

He used three-month holiday visas to recruit new workers, and adopted three young people in 2016.

A 15-year-old girl, who thought she had come to New Zealand for schooling, told the jury she was instead made to look after Matamata’s children, cook and clean. She said she ran away to Auckland but Matamata caught up with her and tied her up in his car for the journey back, when she was placed in a storeroom for the night.

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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/2026/03/12/hawkes-bay-human-trafficker-joseph-matamata-loses-sentence-bid/

March 12, 2026

Beneficiary numbers soar to 12-year high despite government’s reduction promise

Source: Radio New Zealand

Social development minister Louise Upston. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Beneficiary numbers have soared to a 12-year high, under a government that promised a reduction.

They were the highest both by volume and percentage of the working-age population since at least the 2013 welfare reforms.

Social development minister Louise Upston said in 2024 – less than three months after taking office – that the government was taking action to “curb the surge in welfare dependency” that ocurred under the former Labour government.

But the most recent Ministry of Social Development data revealed that was yet to take hold.

As of December last year, 427,236 people – about the population of Christchurch – were receiving a main benefit.

That was 13.2 percent of the working-age population, the highest recorded since at least 2013, when reforms replaced multiple benefits with three main benefits: Jobseeker, Sole Parent Support and Supported Living Payment.

More than half of beneficiaries – 223,512 people, or 6.9 percent of the working age population – were on the Jobseeker benefit. That was also a record.

Soon after taking power the government set a target of 50,000 fewer people on the Jobseeker benefit by 2030.

So far, there had been an 18 percent jump: from 190,000 in December 2023 to 223,500 in December last year.

The 18 to 24-year-old age group on the Jobseeker benefit had grown the most in that period, rising 32 percent.

Minister blames former Labour government

Upston said the numbers were a result of the coalition inheriting “difficult economic conditions and a tough labour market” from the former Labour government.

“Unemployment has been rising since 2021 and is always one of the last things to improve after a recession,” she said.

“We know there is more work to do to grow the economy, fix the basics and build a welfare system focused on getting more people into work.”

More than 83,500 people came off a main benefit and found work last year, she said.

The government’s initiatives to curb benefit numbers included the traffic light system which was working well to ensure jobseekers were fulfilling their obligations, she said.

In Parliament on Wednesday, Labour’s Willie Jackson grilled Upston about rising Jobseeker numbers.

Upston said Labour’s increased spending during the Covid-19 pandemic drove up inflation, leading to higher unemployment.

“That’s why the forecast has always been due to get worse before it gets better,” she said.

Labour’s social development and employment spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon needed to take responsibility.

“It’s been more than two years since National took office, their excuses are getting old and shows just how out of touch they are,” she said.

“Christopher Luxon promised to fix the cost of living. He hasn’t just failed – he’s made it worse.”

Labour’s social development and employment spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. VNP / Phil Smith

High unemployment driving benefit dependency, but set to improve – economist

The rise was largely driven by a weak labour market, said Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen said.

“There has been a larger proportional increase in Jobseeker support benefit requirements compared to all other benefits on average,” he said.

The government had options to intervene but they were not all politically or socially palatable, Olsen said.

That included clamping down access to benefits.

Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

“Which could well reduce the overall numbers, but would likely leave a number of New Zealanders out in the cold and facing very challenging circumstances at a time when we know that the number of jobs being advertised in the economy are still 25 percent lower than pre-pandemic and the unemployment rate is at a 10-year high.”

The government could also try to create jobs but that was expensive and could lead to higher inflation, said Olsen.

“The government doesn’t have a lot of spare money to all of a sudden magic up a whole bunch of jobs there in the short term without generating other economic challenges in other areas.

“So at the moment, our expectation would more be that the government will look to try and reduce the number of beneficiaries over time as the labour market improves, and we do expect that will happen over the next couple of years.”

Although unemployment was high, there had also been a 0.5 percent expansion in the number of jobs which was the largest in about two and a half years, he said.

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LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/12/beneficiary-numbers-soar-to-12-year-high-despite-governments-reduction-promise/

March 12, 2026

The surprises awaiting Kiwi netballers across the Tasman

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Tactix team-mates Jane Watson (left) and Te Paea Selby-Rickit are about to play their first season in the Australian netball league. Photosport Ltd

Te Paea Selby-Rickit did not see it coming.

Last year the Tactix shooter received a text out of the blue from former ANZ Premiership coach Kiri Wills – now head coach of the Queensland Firebirds. Wills wanted to sound out the former Silver Fern about a move across the Tasman.

“It was in the middle of the ANZ Premiership season, I didn’t expect it but at the end of Tactix season the timing felt right,” Selby-Rickit said.

For Selby-Rickit, further surprises awaited when she arrived at the Firebirds set-up in Brisbane late last year – world-class facilities, intense training, and a level of professionalism she hadn’t experienced before.

Selby-Rickit is among nine current and former Silver Ferns that will feature in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) when it begins this weekend, with the challenge of testing themselves in the world’s toughest netball league drawing a strong Kiwi contingent across the Tasman.

The 34-year-old will play alongside two Silver Ferns at the Firebirds, with Kelly Jackson and Maddy Gordon also making their SSN debuts. The trio are living together in Queensland.

One of the biggest things players notice when they start playing in Australia are the access to resources and quality of the facilities.

“I’ve also been blown away actually by the professionalism, the systems they’ve got in place, you can tell it’s just a really high performance environment and the attention to detail and everything,” Selby-Rickit said.

“The intensity is really high here and the standards are really clear, it’s definitely pushed me but that’s what you want and I’ve been here a couple of months now and I feel like I’m finally starting to get used to it.

“At the same time it still feels fun and connected so I’ve been really impressed and really stoked with how it’s gone so far.”

The experienced goal attack is teaming up with Ugandan goal shoot Mary Cholhok. Standing at 2.0m, Cholhok is the tallest player in the competition and the Firebirds will be wanting to unlock her full potential.

“We’ve been working hard trying to build that connection. I like playing with a tall shooter, I’ve played with tall shooters before with Jhaniele [Fowler-Nembhard] back in my Steel days, and Ellie Bird at Tactix so I’m really excited about how that connection can grow.”

Former Silver Fern Gina Crampton. PHOTOSPORT

Former Silver Ferns skipper Gina Crampton is also about to enter her first season in the SSN. She had a taste of it in 2024 as a training partner for the Giants.

After taking time away from the court last season to have baby, the specialist wing attack will take up a fulltime role with the NSW Swifts alongside Silver Ferns shooter Grace Nweke.

It was Nweke who essentially forced Netball NZ to revisit its eligibility rules when she joined the Swifts last year. Previously only players plying their trade in the New Zealand competition were eligible for national selection. But when the prolific shooter elected to take up a contract with the Swifts, the national body subsequently loosened their rules, which saw six players apply for and granted exemptions to still be able to play for the Silver Ferns.

The last time Crampton played with Nweke was at the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town, before Crampton made herself unavailable for international netball.

“It’s really nice having someone I know well coming into it but also she’s just such a huge person in the game at the moment and she’s just an amazing player so getting to feed her has been really awesome,” Crampton said.

While players in the SSN have enjoyed pay increases and access to world-class facilities, their counterparts in the ANZ Premiership face a different reality.

This year, players agreed to a 20 percent pay cut after Netball NZ were forced to rein in costs of the competition after their broadcast revenue took a massive hit before the 2025 season.

With no long-term broadcast deal in place beyond 2026, uncertainty continues to hover over the domestic competition.

“I’m sure that Netball New Zealand is doing everything they can to keep the competition running and having something solid back home. You want all the players to be able to get as much support as they can and not having to work on the side as well, that’s what we’d all be aiming for in terms of trying to be an elite environment and getting into that professional space,” Crampton said.

Maddy Gordon (right) will test herself against the best Australian players when she suits up for the Queensland Firebirds. AAP / www.photosport.nz

Just how well resourced the SSN is in comparison to New Zealand’s domestic competition, was obvious to Crampton from day one.

“That’s huge, I think there’s not much difference from coach to coach but just the resources and facilities and things that are available is definitely a step up.

“Just having your own changing room at the one stadium that you train at. At the Stars we sort of travelled all round South Auckland training at different venues and things like that.”

Crampton is excited to see how her old New Zealand team-mates go in the league. Cross town Sydney rivals, the Giants, signed former Silver Ferns Whitney Souness and Jane Watson.

“I’m quite close with Jane and excited to see how she goes. I’m sure she’s someone who was probably thinking she was getting near the end of her career and then this opportunity with the Giants showed up so I think it’s awesome to see we’ve got a few Kiwis in the competition and I think it will bring a bit of flair to the league hopefully.”

Watson said playing in the SSN had always been a goal of hers.

“When we had our old trans-Tasman competition, you’d always come over here and get a little bit of a taste of it, that was always something I thought would be amazing to do, I just didn’t think I’d ever get the opportunity to do it,” Watson said.

Watson, who won the ANZ Premiership title with the Tactix last year, said SSN players had what they needed at their finger tips.

“If I compare it to our Tactix facility, there’s definitely a lot more things to offer over here, pretty much everything is in one area but then you’ve got your recovery as well, you’ve got a cafe so you can have your lunch and then come back and do your next session so it’s definitely very well set up over here.”

When it comes to routine and attention to detail, Watson said some things were different.

“The likes of our footwork and agility drills we do at the start of trainings and things, that is one thing that stands out for me.”

Whitney Souness is hoping a season in the SSN will help enhance her Silver Ferns chances. Aaron Gillions / www.photosport.nz

Souness was named Giants captain last month and said she was thrilled to have the backing of her new team-mates so soon after joining the franchise.

The former Silver Fern is excited by the new challenge and eager to play against other import players from the likes of England, Jamaica, and South Africa.

“Being part of the ANZ for a long time, you just want to experience that competition and the SSN is obviously a competition we all look up to and getting to play some international players weekly, it challenges our game so it was always something that I looked at as a great opportunity to grow and further my game. It had been something I had been wanting to do for a while,” Souness said.

Souness, who is hoping to force her way back into the Silver Ferns, has played wing attack most of her career, but could also see some time at centre.

“I’m not sure, we’ve got a couple of us in the midcourt that can play both so I feel like it could be either wing attack or centre, I’ve been playing both at the moment so I guess it’s dependent on the combos and the teams we come up against.”

Kiwis playing in 2026 SSN

*Grace Nweke – NSW Swifts
*Kelly Jackson – Queensland Firebirds
*Maddy Gordon – Queensland Firebirds
*Kate Heffernan – Adelaide Thunderbirds
*Karin Burger – Sunshine Coast Lightning
*Whitney Souness – Giants
Jane Watson – Giants
Te Paea Selby-Rickit – Queensland Firebirds
Gina Crampton – NSW Swifts

* Have been granted an exemption

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/12/the-surprises-awaiting-kiwi-netballers-across-the-tasman/

March 12, 2026

Mobility Trends to Watch in 2026: The Expanding Role of Ride-Hailing Platforms

Source: Media Outreach

Industry insights indicate that ride-hailing platforms are gradually expanding beyond core passenger transport, with increased focus on predictive safety capabilities, AI-enabled customer support, embedded payment systems, and more structured regulatory engagement.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 March 2026 – 2026 may be the year that more ride-hailing apps will expand their operations to become mobility superapps, according to industry experts who have analyzed the movements of multiple apps across the board. The analysis suggests that this shift will be driven by multi-service bundling, predictive safety features, boosted AI integration, cashless payment options, and coordination with regulators.

“Our global market review found that the way forward for ride-hailing platforms is to evolve into mobility superapps,” Evgenia Matrosova, inDrive Chief Ride-Hailing Officer, said. “Users want convenience more than anything, where diverse mobility solutions, proactive safety functions, and seamless digital payments can all be found in one platform. Integrated services won’t just push innovation forward; they signify reliability and flexibility on the road and beyond.”

#1 Ride-hailing apps may begin venturing into adjacent services.

More ride-hailing apps may begin expanding into adjacent mobility services this year due to an increase in global demand for integrated transport services. For instance, market intelligence firm Sensor Tower listed inDrive and other ride-hailing platforms among the most downloaded travel apps in 2025—revealing global demand for their expansion into adjacent travel services.

Zooming into the platforms’ service expansion, industry experts are optimistic about the potential in food delivery. Data shows that restaurants worldwide are considering working with delivery platforms that offer them more control over their profit margins.

A separate Ken Research study also revealed that online travel booking has also enjoyed similar local growth, with a projected revenue of Php 50 billion. This could boost pre-booked airport pickups’ popularity, with travelers viewing this as a much-needed convenience.

These all reveal one thing: the lines between passenger transport and adjacent mobility services are beginning to blur. Thus, ride-hailing apps may begin venturing into adjacent mobility services to create an all-in-one experience for users.

#2 Safety systems are slowly shifting from protection to prediction

At present, in-app safety features are often limited to real-time monitoring, emergency hotline buttons, and a speed dial to the platform’s 24/7 support. However, industry experts forecast that ride-hailing apps may begin using AI-powered analytics and risk modeling for predictive road safety measures.

For instance, the Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories says that AI can collect traffic data, weather feeds, and other key information to predict collisions and recommend alternate routes. Predictive safety features like this can help ride-hailing apps move past interventionary measures and proactively protect their drivers and passengers.

#3 AI to enhance the in-app customer experience

Industry experts also say that mobility services may continue leveraging AI to improve customer experience. There are also early indicators that ride-hailing apps may experiment with using human-like AI voices in their customer support systems. AI may also be used in developing personal mobility agents that manage drivers’ schedules and earnings and intervene during emergencies.

With ride-hailing platforms considering venturing into food delivery, they may use AI to simulate customer interactions. Large language models can simulate dialogue-based ordering, allowing users to verbally dictate their orders or send them via chat platforms like WhatsApp. Not only would this speed up the delivery process, but it would also cater to users who prefer personal interactions.

#4 Ride-hailing apps eyeing seamless in-app payment systems

Cashless payment options, such as e-wallets and online bank transfers, are gaining popularity among Filipino consumers. A Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas report found that 57.4% of Filipinos’ retail transactions were paid online. This creates an opportunity for ride-hailing companies to make their payment schemes more seamless. They may consider embedding cashless payment options in their apps, which can automatically deduct their transaction from their attached online banking and e-wallet accounts.

inDrive’s internal research shows that Filipino commuters are also price-sensitive, often allocating tight budgets to their transportation expenses. This consumer attitude could pave the way for ride-hailing companies to install in-app wallets. These facilitate better online budgeting and accommodate users who prefer cash.

#5 Ride-hailing apps expected to continue to uphold price fairness

Strict regulatory compliance has always influenced the dynamics of the ride-hailing industry. In particular, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has been staunch in implementing its fare matrix. Just last December, the regulator imposed surge caps to maintain affordable holiday fares—underscoring its commitment to keeping prices affordable for passengers.

With this in mind, industry dynamics suggest a growing emphasis on collaborative regulatory models. Experts advise ride-hailing companies to continue collaborating with government regulators to promote pricing fairness. They also recommended continuing to implement lower commission rates to increase drivers’ income and strengthen passenger loyalty. This year, platforms may also take it a step further by rolling out promotions, capped surge policies, and loyalty models.

These trends paint a picture of what could come next for the ride-hailing industry this year. With these in mind, inDrive will continue to uphold transparency, safety, and inclusivity for drivers and passengers alike. For more updates on inDrive’s initiatives this year, visit www.inDrive.com or follow @inDrive.ph on social media.

https://indrive.com/en-my

Hashtag: #inDrivetrends #MobilityPhilippines

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/2026/03/12/mobility-trends-to-watch-in-2026-the-expanding-role-of-ride-hailing-platforms/

March 12, 2026

Sunlight Real Estate Investment Trust (“Sunlight REIT”) Final Results for the Year Ended 31 December 2025

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 March 2026 – Henderson Sunlight Asset Management Limited (the “Manager“) announces the final results of Sunlight REIT for the year ended 31 December 2025 (the “Year“).

Sunlight REIT recorded total revenue and net property income for the Year of HK$778.1 million and HK$601.0 million respectively, down 4.8% and 5.3% as compared to their corresponding calendarized figures in 2024. Distributable income for the Year exhibited a milder drop of 2.1% to HK$330.2 million, mainly attributable to a 16.1% saving in interest expense.

The key performance indicators on a calendarized basis are summarized as follows:

in HK$’ million	12 months ended 31 December 2025	12 months ended 31 December 2024*
Revenue	778.1	817.1
Net property income	601.0	634.5
Distributable income	330.2	337.3

* unaudited figures derived from the audited financial statements for the 18 months ended 31 December 2024.

The Board has resolved to declare a final distribution of HK 9.1 cents per unit, bringing distribution per unit for the Year to HK 18.2 cents, which represents a payout ratio of 96.1% and a yield of 7.7% based on the closing unit price of HK$2.35 on the last trading day of the Year.

The appraised value of Sunlight REIT’s portfolio was HK$17,403.0 million at 31 December 2025, while its net asset value stood at HK$12,402.6 million, or HK$7.09 per unit.

Operating Highlights

At 31 December 2025, the occupancy rate of Sunlight REIT’s overall portfolio was 90.6%. The corresponding figures of the office and retail portfolios were 91.2% and 89.6%, with average passing rents of HK$31.0 per sq. ft. and HK$63.9 per sq. ft. respectively.

In respect of capital management, Sunlight REIT successfully completed the refinancing of borrowings in the amount of HK$2,980 million on favourable interest margin during the Year, demonstrating the staunch support from key bankers and the solid fundamentals of Sunlight REIT. All term loans of Sunlight REIT are currently being structured as sustainability-linked loans.

During the year under review, Sunlight REIT attained the five-star Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) rating, a testament to its commitment to sustainability.

Mr. Au Siu Kee, Alexander, Chairman of the Manager, said, “Given the prevailing operating environment, it is imperative to stay vigilant and adaptable, focusing on strategic cost management and portfolio optimization while leveraging technology to navigate the evolving landscape. We take pride in having established a firm foundation for Sunlight REIT, being strengthened by numerous initiatives amidst the ebbs and flows of the market. Unitholders are assured of this defensive and proactive culture in the years to come.”

Remarks: Attached financial highlights of FY2025 final results of Sunlight REIT.

Financial Highlights of FY2025 Final Results
(in HK$’ million, unless otherwise specified)

	Year ended 31 December 2025	18 months ended 31 December 2024
Revenue	778.1	1,236.3
Net property income	601.0	957.7
Cost-to-income ratio (%)	22.8	22.5
Loss after taxation	(275.4)	(173.0)
Distributable income	330.2	499.7
Distribution per unit (HK cents)	18.2	27.4
Payout ratio (%)	96.1	94.0

	At 31 December 2025	At 31 December 2024
Portfolio valuation	17,403.0	17,933.6
Net asset value	12,402.6	13,010.1
Net asset value per unit (HK$)	7.09	7.53
Gearing ratio (%)	27.8	27.0

Disclaimer: The information contained in this press release does not constitute an offer or invitation to sell or the solicitation of an offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe for units in Sunlight REIT in Hong Kong or any other jurisdiction.

Hashtag: #SunlightREIT #REIT

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/2026/03/12/sunlight-real-estate-investment-trust-sunlight-reit-final-results-for-the-year-ended-31-december-2025/

March 11, 2026

Esaote launches the new MyLab™ E85 GTS ultrasound system in Vienna

Source: Media Outreach

VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 March 2026 – Easy to transport, featuring compact size and high-quality images, developed to revolutionise and facilitate the work of interventional radiologists all around the world. Esaote launched the new MyLab E85 GTS, the new cart-based ultrasound system that Esaote, a leading Italian company in medical imaging innovation, presented at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR), held in Vienna from 4th to 8th March.

The machine is based on two new technologies, combined for the first time: Virtual Navigator and Ablation Confirmation. The former enables real-time multimodality image fusion for accurate navigation, reinforcing the role of ultrasound as a valuable aid to computed tomography (CT)-guided interventional procedures. The second analyses and combines pre- and post-treatment CT and multiparametric MRI data with real-time ultrasound imaging automatically to assess the technical success of thermal ablation procedures. The combination of both technologies aims at providing interventional radiologists with accurate diagnosis, excellent needle visualisation and improved interventional procedures.

Equipped with a touch-sensitive keyboard that is easy to clean, MyLab E85 GTS represents a further evolution in the devices now available to specialists, offering their patients even greater precision in minimally invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. The combination of Virtual Navigator and Ablation Confirmation guarantees extremely high performance in biopsies, aspirations and drainages. The visualization of the needle is excellent and contributes to the confidence of the physician and the precision of the operation performed.

“Interventional procedures can be done under CT guidance, but allying them with ultrasound systems, characterized by non-radiation procedures and real time-imaging, offers invaluable advantages: with a single click, the fusion between CT and US images is operational”, explained Marta Daniel, Guided Therapy Product and Clinical Solutions Manager at Esaote, on the sidelines of the launch of the new ultrasound scanner at the European Congress of Radiology in Vienna. “By maximising the workflow of focal ablation, MyLab E85 GTS offers the first “integrated” Ablation Confirmation Software in addition to fusion imaging. The software analyses pre- and post-ablation CT scans and provides feedback on the effectiveness of the procedure, maintaining real-time fused images to navigate the target area, both to confirm treatment and to further ablate any residual areas identified. This is a revolutionary breakthrough that ensures confidence and precision”, she concluded.

Esaote developed the new MyLab E85 GTS with today’s interventional radiology needs in mind. “Working with young physicians all around the world, we identified their challenges and understood their specific requests, pushing us to go beyond the conventional functions of an ultrasound system”, said Laurent Rapon, Global Business Development Manager GTS US. “The E85 GTS is our first response to this commitment, proposing a sealed keyboard design and integrating tailor-made software to further ease complex interventional procedures”.

Hashtag: #Esaote

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/2026/03/11/esaote-launches-the-new-mylab-e85-gts-ultrasound-system-in-vienna/

March 11, 2026

Bora Delivers Highest Operating Cash Flow Margin Since 2020, Enabling 2026 Bolt-On Investments from a Larger, Stronger Platform

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 March 2026 – Bora Pharmaceuticals (“Bora”; TWSE: 6472; OTCQX: BORAY) today announced its financial results and operational highlights for full year 2025 and provides 2026 outlook.

FY25 Business and Financial Highlights

Company reported full year revenues, with discontinued operations reported separately, of NT$19,014 million, up 9.11% from the prior year and basic EPS of NT$23.90, or NT$2.63 for the fourth quarter. Full year EPS represents a 24.22% year-over-year decline, mostly due to a net loss per share of NT$11.24 from discontinued operations.
In the fourth quarter, following the completion of tech transfer of production transitions out of the Plymouth area in Minnesota, the COGS of those originally Plymouth-made inventories have been reconsolidated to COGS line. Hence on a like-for-like basis when compared with other quarters in 2025, fourth quarter gross margin would have been approximately 38-39%. The reported high single-digit percentage sequential decline in gross margin, which also led to softened operational leverage, was primarily attributable to a temporary slowdown in DLS orders from following the entry of a new competitor in Nov. with limited launch visibility during the quarter. Higher effective tax rates during the quarter were a direct result of less sell-through downstream from related party transactions of the internally manufactured generic products. In addition, heightened generics competition of Topiramate ER, a leading generics product of Upsher-Smith, was also a negative gross margin mover.
Management believes the 4Q25 OPEX profile more accurately reflects the expanded operating platform and our strategic repositioning into new focus areas. Sales and marketing expenses increased seasonally in line with market share cadence and channel expansion initiatives, while R&D spending sat on the disciplined side. Gross margin expansion serves as the key lever for operating leverage as scale improves fixed-cost absorption.
Pharma sales revenue remained volatile in the fourth quarter as legacy inventory phased out and new product approvals remain pending. Generics portfolio competitiveness remains a key focus area in the near term for both top line and gross margin. Nevertheless, led by vigabatrin franchise, Bora’s rare disease portfolio continued to gain impressive market share across dosage forms. The Company aims to actively refill pipelines in 2026 to regain profitable growth.
The Group’s CDMO business delivered another strong quarter in both revenues and gross margin. Supported by expanded capacity and the addition of new dosage forms, CDMO revenues grew 53.8% year-over-year in 2025 to NT$10.64 billion, including internal orders. Excluding internal orders, revenues reached NT$7.50 billion, representing a 19.53% increase compared to 2024.
As 2025 marked a year of post-merger integration and strategic consolidation, Bora achieved its highest operating cash flow margin in recent years at 34.74% in the fourth quarter, compared with -4.00% in the same period last year. This improvement reflects the transformation of the Bora Group into a more efficient organization operating on a larger and stronger platform. The Board has proposed a NT$10 cash dividend per share, demonstrating confidence in the Group’s strengthened cash generation and commitment to delivering sustainable returns to shareholders, reaching the highest yield rate proposed.
Share capital increased 3.18% during the quarter from employee stock option exercise and convertible bond conversions.

Mr. Bobby Sheng, Chairman of Bora Group, stated, “2025 represented a pivotal year for Bora Group. Beyond post-acquisition integration, it was a year of disciplined capital allocation and balance sheet stewardship. Having stepped onto a larger growth platform, we deliberately reassessed optimal cash deployment, portfolio mix of both CDMO and Pharma Sales businesses and forthcoming return metrics under a stable equity structure. One year after closing the 2024 acquisitions, we achieved our highest operating cash flow margin, marking a complete turnaround from the same period last year when the Group first transitioned to its current scale.

The external environment was marked by significant shifts. We operated against a backdrop of renewed U.S. trade and industrial policy shifts, triggering supply chain realignment and foreign exchange fluctuations. At the same time, rapid AI adoption began reshaping manufacturing competitive dynamics, if not capital market funding flow. Concurrently, the Group faced competition in a handful core generic products that remain meaningful contributors to revenue and EBITDA. Discontinued operations aside, based on the reclassified financial statements for 2025 and 2024, EBITDA for continued operations declined 19.0% compared to 2024, but remains 12.5% higher than 2023, underscoring the structurally higher revenues and earnings base established over the past 2 years.

Despite these headwinds, the Group remained profitable and has preserved financial flexibility. Notably, we funded Bora’s largest CDMO CAPEX program in our history and executed the business transformation of Upsher-Smith entirely within existing credit facilities, without incremental equity dilution. While value expansion of this new Bora Group platform took longer than the Company expected, we believe the year demonstrates the resilience of our operating model, disciplined financial management, and our ability to execute strategic investments while maintaining earnings and balance sheet integrity.

We are especially delighted to share the contract renewal with GSK earlier this year. From day one, this partnership was built on mutual trust and a shared commitment to quality. With the latest developments, we are looking at a decade of collaboration with GSK and committing through 2030 speaks to our shared focus on value and reliability. We have also established new partnerships with several high-growth pharmaceuticals over the past few months, further expanding our client base across our North American network. These partners share our belief in an integrated and orchestrated supply chain model, leveraging our multi-site platform to support development, manufacturing, and commercialization needs.

To sum up, the CDMO rolling 12-month external order backlog, after a good quarter of digestion and less working days, arrived at US$264 million. Total external wins in 2025 reached a phenomenal US$482 million, of which 89% were commercial-stage orders and 16 molecules in pre-commercial stage, providing solid visibility into 2026 and beyond especially for Canada and Baltimore sites. At the same time, Bora continues to leverage a unified CDMO network to enhance cost competitiveness for our very own Upsher-Smith generics portfolio.

On the pharma sales side, Upsher-Smith today represents a structurally repositioned platform. Performance has been increasingly driven by lifecycle management, including continued maximization of the infantile spasm franchise, alongside active pipeline replenishment with a heightened focus on differentiated assets, particularly NCEs in rare diseases. Within Generics, we have confirmed 7 launches in 2026, including the recently approved Cyclosporine and an in-licensed product indicated for hyponatremia. We are also observing a more constructive environment for DLS than initially anticipated, with 2026 year-to-date market share maintained. Last but not least, based on our current knowledge of the relevant U.S. patent rulings, if TWi receives approval for Cladribine (gMavenclad), Upsher-Smith, as the exclusive distributor, would be positioned to launch the product in the U.S., subject to customary regulatory and commercial considerations.

Beyond our base expectation of launching more than 10 generic products annually, we have identified revenue and EBITDA accretive, bolt-on investment opportunities to further strengthen this business in 2026. These include progressively expanding our injectable and 505(b)(2) portfolios to enhance differentiation and economics, as well as deepening penetration across proprietary and specialty distribution channels. When we exit this year with a more diversified and better-calibrated product mix, we expect improved earnings resilience and more stable growth trajectory going forward.”

FY25 Operational Achievements & 2026 Outlook

Global CDMO Operations

Global CDMO operations revenue reached record highs for both the quarter and the full year, accounting for approximately 45.78% of reported revenues in the quarter and 39.43% for FY2025. In total, 2.5 billion doses were developed and manufactured. Revenue contribution from the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies declined slightly to 29% from the low-30% range previously, primarily reflecting the addition of several fast-growing pharmaceutical clients to the Company’s portfolio in recent years, with increasing contributions from their successful product launches.

As the Company continues to expand its CDMO capacity and capabilities, including approximately 10% additional aseptic fill/finish capacity and a net ~3% expansion in solid and liquid dosage capacity, Bora Group monitors utilization rate carefully across facilities. While the Company remains confident that investing in U.S. manufacturing capacity is strategically sound, given the importance of the U.S. pharmaceutical market and supply chain resilience, capital allocation must also align with prevailing industry investment cycles. Against this backdrop, a structural supply gap in single-use drug substance (DS) bioreactor capacity, projected to grow at an estimated 8–10% CAGR, reinforces the rationale for continued investment in Tanvex Biopharma (branded as Bora Biologics) as Bora Group expands its CDMO platform. Supported by a more favorable funding environment for early-stage biotech companies in the US, rapidly growing biologics pipeline, increasing FDA approvals, long product lifecycles, and Tanvex’s integrated access to Bora’ Group’s drug product (DP) fill/finish capabilities, the strategic platform presents a compelling long-term value creation opportunity. While this represents a near-term drag on reported earnings, the Company believes these investments are necessary to position Bora Group for long-term participation in the CDMO market that values quality and OTIF (On Time, In Full) delivery.

Pharma Sales Operations

Pharma Sales operations generated revenue of NT$2.64 billion in the fourth quarter, marking one of slowest quarters since the Upsher-Smith merger. For the full year, Pharma Sales declined 11.30% compared to 2024, excluding the impact of discontinued operations related to delisted products, and accounted for 60.48% of total revenues.

A key leading indicator in specialty pharma is the number of new patients, and across the Vigabatrin franchise, Upsher-Smith continues to demonstrate positive momentum on this front. Upsher-Smith intends to pursue enhanced customer segmentation to further increase salesforce effectiveness in 2026 with investments in key commercial functions and patient access to increase salesforce effectiveness.

Recent Investor Conference

Bora will host an English online earnings call at 9:30 p.m. Taiwan time on Mar. 12^th, 2026, followed by an investor conference hosted by Taishin Securities at the Regent Taipei at 2:00 p.m. on Mar. 19^th, 2026. Both events will cover the Company’s 2025 financial and business results and 2026 outlook.

English Online Earnings Presentation Link: https://www.virtualinvestorconferences.com/wcc/eh/4814904/lp/5255333/bora-pharmaceuticals-otcqx-boray-twse-6472

Bora will participate in 2026 Jefferies Asia Forum in March in Hong Kong and an East coast NDR in NYC and Boston. For 1:1 meetings with management, please contact your Jefferies and Sinopac representative.

Bora 2026 Earnings Schedule

Q1 2026: Expected in the 2^nd week of May 2026
Q2 2026: Expected in the 2^nd week of Aug 2026
Q3 2026: Expected in the 2^nd week of Nov 2026
Q4 2026: Expected in the 2^nd week of Mar 2027

Hashtag: #Bora

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/2026/03/11/bora-delivers-highest-operating-cash-flow-margin-since-2020-enabling-2026-bolt-on-investments-from-a-larger-stronger-platform/

March 11, 2026

VinEnergo Hai Phong LNG Power Plant to Use GE Vernova Gas Turbines and Generators

Source: Media Outreach

HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 March 2026 – VinEnergo Energy Joint Stock Company, a subsidiary of Vingroup, and GE Vernova in the United States have officially signed a technology selection agreement to supply some of the world’s most advanced gas turbines and generators for VinEnergo’s LNG power plant project in Hai Phong. The event marks an important milestone in realizing the goal of developing VinEnergo Hai Phong into the largest gas-fired power plant in Vietnam, contributing to national energy security and promoting the transition toward a green economy.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Khoa, CEO of VinEnergo (left), and Mr. Eric Gray, CEO of Power segment, GE Vernova, announced the agreement under the witness of Mr. Le Manh Hung, Acting Minister of Industry and Trade and Mr. Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova.

The signing ceremony between VinEnergo and GE Vernova took place during The Energy of Change Summit 2026 in Hanoi, attended by Acting Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung and more than 400 reputable organizations from the global energy sector. The agreement represents a significant step toward ensuring construction progress and bringing the Hai Phong LNG power plant into operation by the end of 2030.

As a global leader in energy technology with more than 100 years of experience and a strong track record in meeting stringent environmental and operational standards, GE Vernova has been selected by VinEnergo as the core equipment supplier for the Hai Phong LNG power plant. Under the agreement, GE Vernova shall supply two 9HA.02 gas turbines and two H78 generators in phase I, with a capacity of 1600 MW, to ensure the plant can begin operations by the end of 2030.

Nguyen Anh Khoa, Chief Executive Officer of VinEnergo, stated: “Partnering with GE Vernova, a leading global supplier, to deploy the most advanced technologies will not only ensure optimal operational efficiency for the Hai Phong LNG power plant, but also reaffirm our strong commitment to pioneering emissions reduction and building a sustainable green industrial and energy ecosystem.”

Ramesh Singaram, President & CEO, Gas Power, Asia, GE Vernova stated: “We are honoured that VinEnergo and Vingroup have entrusted GE Vernova with a central role in this important project. Through the deployment of the 9HA.02 gas turbine and H78 generator, we are delivering advanced technology that supports lower emissions, industry‑leading efficiency, and reliable large‑scale power generation. This collaboration underscores our commitment to sustainable energy solutions and to supporting Vietnam’s accelerated transition to more sustainable energy.”

The GE Vernova 9HA.02 gas turbine technology is highly efficient, featuring fast startup capabilities and flexible load adjustment, allowing it to respond effectively to continuously fluctuating power demand. With combustion temperatures exceeding 1,400 degrees Celsius, the system significantly enhances power generation efficiency. Notably, the 9HA.02 turbine offers flexible fuel options, capable of burning hydrogen at up to 50% by volume, with a roadmap toward 100% hydrogen in the future, clearly demonstrating its alignment with sustainable energy development goals.

With the official signing of the cooperation agreement between VinEnergo and GE Vernova, the Hai Phong LNG power plant project, developed by a consortium of Vingroup and VinEnergo Energy Joint Stock Company, is expected to begin operations by the end of 2030 as planned and become one of the world’s leading LNG-fueled power plants.

Hashtag: #VinEnergo

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/2026/03/11/vinenergo-hai-phong-lng-power-plant-to-use-ge-vernova-gas-turbines-and-generators/

March 11, 2026

Person arrested after armed police descend on Kāpiti Coast property

Source: Radio New Zealand

Armed police are at a property on Rangiuru Road. Google Maps

A person has been arrested after armed officers attended an Ōtaki Beach property on the Kāpiti Coast.

Cordons were placed on Rangiuru Road on Wednesday evening as police negotiators engage with a person at the property.

A police spokesperson said the officers were armed as a precaution.

The person was later taken into custody and charges are being considered, they said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/person-arrested-after-armed-police-descend-on-kapiti-coast-property/

March 11, 2026

Mitsubishi Logisnext Asia Pacific Rebrands as Logisnext Asia Pacific, to Strengthen Leadership in Logistics Solutions

Source: Media Outreach

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 March 2026 – Mitsubishi Logisnext Asia Pacific (MLAP) announced today it will be rebranded to Logisnext Asia Pacific in the future, aligning with the strategic direction set by Mitsubishi Logisnext Co. Ltd. (ML) for its group companies.

This global change will mark a significant step in ML’s ongoing transformation, guided by the “Logisnext Vision 2035”. As part of this process, ML has formed a partnership with Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) as the new strategic partner to support sustainable growth and long-term value creation. Consequently, all group companies will adopt the new company name from 30^th of April.

Commitment to Customers
“While our name is changing, our commitment to customers and dealer partners remains unchanged,” said Yasumitsu Baba, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Logisnext Asia Pacific. “We will continue to provide reliable equipment, trusted services, and solutions that drive customer success, while further strengthening our global alignment.”

Global and Regional Strategy
Logisnext operates globally through four regional hubs: Japan, EAME (Europe, Africa, CIS, and Middle East), Americas, and APAC/C/SA (Asia Pacific, China and South Africa). This structure enables the group to reinforce its position as a leading solutions provider in the logistics industry answering to the local customers’ needs.

In line with the rebrand, the global Logisnext group will implement strategic changes to its brand portfolio in the coming years. These are tailored to the specific needs of each region, ensuring the best fit to serve regional markets. Starting with Japan, “Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks” product lines will rebrand to “Logisnext”.

APAC/C/SA Region Update
In the APAC/C/SA region, the “Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks” will transit to “Logisnext Forklifts” in the coming years as part of the rebranding initiative. During this period and beyond, we are committed to continue offering customers the same dependable engineering, innovative equipment and comprehensive solutions, delivered through our dealer partners. Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks is best known for its Reliability, Quality and Value for Money will continue to be with the “Logisnext Forklifts” brand, customers can expect same ownership experience and satisfaction.

Transition and Support
Throughout this transition, MLAP is prioritising stability and consistency for dealer partners and customers. All current support teams and service structures will remain in place, ensuring a seamless process for all stakeholders.

Hashtag: #MitsubishiLogisnextAsiaPacific #LogisnextAsiaPacific #MitsubishiForkliftTrucks #MitsubishiForklifts #LogisnextForklifts

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/2026/03/11/mitsubishi-logisnext-asia-pacific-rebrands-as-logisnext-asia-pacific-to-strengthen-leadership-in-logistics-solutions/

March 11, 2026

Meningococcal disease case confirmed at Otago University

Source: Radio New Zealand

Otago University was working with public health to contain the infection. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Otago University has confirmed a case of meningococcal disease within the student community.

In an email to students, vice-chancellor Grant Robertson said the university was working with public health to contain the infection.

He said close contacts had been notified and offered antibiotic and vaccination protection.

Grant Robertson said the risk was low for the wider student community as the meningococcal disease infection was passed on only though close or prolonged contact with an infected person.

Meningococcal bacteria live in people’s noses and throats and are spread by coughing, sneezing, or contact with nose and throat secretions.

“Although the bacteria can be passed from person to person, it is relatively uncommon for even family contacts to become ill,” Robertson said.

He said it was important to know the symptoms and seek medical help quickly if students felt unwell. Symptoms could appear suddenly and may include:

Fever
Severe headache
Neck stiffness
Sensitivity to light
Nausea or vomiting
Cold hands and feet or limb pain
Drowsiness or difficulty waking
Confusion
A rash that does not fade when pressed.

“If you experience fever together with headache, neck stiffness, or feel suddenly very unwell, please seek medical help immediately.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/meningococcal-disease-case-confirmed-at-otago-university/