MIL-OSI – Page 124 – MIL-OSI Export

Spark saw a net after tax profit of $64 million for the six months ended December. RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson

Telecommunications company Spark’s mobile and broadband businesses delivered slight revenue growth over the first half, contributing to an 83 percent increase in net profit.

“The first half of FY26 has delivered a clear step up in Spark’s performance, as we build momentum towards our SPK-30 strategy ambitions,” chair Justine Smyth said.

Key numbers for the six months ended December compared with a year ago:

Smyth said [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/569697/spark-to-sell-75-percent-stake-in-data-centre-to-pacific-equity-partners

proceeds from the sale] of 75 percent of its data centre business, completed 30 January 2026, will be used to reduce debt in the second half of the year ending in June.

The board also reaffirmed Spark’s underlying full year profit guidance in a range of $1.01 billion and and $1.07b.

Spark chief executive Jolie Hodson said growth of its mobile network was the core of its growth strategy, along with remaining competitive, while working to simplify its portfolio of products.

“What I’ve been really pleased about in this first half is the growth we’ve seen in mobile, and that’s core and central to our strategy ahead.

“And that includes both from an investment that we’re making the network, but also the work we’re doing around our customer experience. We’ve reset the business, and it was pleasing to be able to deliver the step-up of performance in first half.”

Amova portfolio manager Michael De Cesare said the result was largely in line with expectations, with the company’s cost cutting programme delivering substantial savings.

“Becoming a leaner operation with improved productivity effectively takes some pressure off the top line performance,” he said.

While Spark delivered slight revenue growth in mobile and broadband, De Cesare said the company had challenges ahead, including the decline of its traditional phone lines and older network services.

Forsyth Barr analyst Ben Crozier said the result was softer than expected though growth in mobile and broadband segments were broadly in line with expectations.

Crozier said the net profit growth was a “meaningful” step-up, but missed its $93m estimate.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/18/spark-sees-83-increase-in-net-profit-to-64-million-in-six-months-to-december/

February 18, 2026

Nepal’s government looks to tighten the rules around who can climb Mt Everest

Source: Radio New Zealand

Nepal’s government is looking at rules to ensure that only experienced climbers can climb Mount Everest. credit: Nirmal Purja

A Wanaka-based adventure consultant says she agrees that anyone wanting to climb Mount Everest should have previously summited a 7000 metre high mountain at least once.

Nepal’s government is considering the new rule that would require climbers to have previously summited a 7000m high mountain in Nepal before attempting Everest which is 8848m high.

New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first people known to reach Everest’s summit in 1953.

But recently the mountain has been been in the spotlight over increasing pollution with discarded climbing gear, tents, oxygen canisters and human waste.

And the traffic jams with climbers literally nose to tail at dangerous pinch points as more people attempt Everest.

Wanaka-based Adventure Consultants takes climbers up Everest and its general manager Caroline Ogle said they had strict rules around who they took to Everest but there was a real mix of people on the mountain.

She said there were some operators, such as hers, which had been on the mountain for many years and ran well-resourced expeditions ensuring that only experienced climbers came onto Everest.

“Unfortunately there are a lot of teams that are a) quite large in size and b) their climbers don’t have necessary experience before heading onto the mountain and those factors combined can mean that people do get into trouble and that’s what you end up seeing in the headlines.”

Adventure Consultants advised anyone who wanted to climb Everest to follow a programme which started with a mountaineering course and to ensure they had a lot of climbing experience either in New Zealand, the European mountains or in the United States, she said.

“So building up experience on multiple 6000 to 7000m peaks and ideally another 8000m peak before going on to Everest.”

But often the climbers do not want to put in the preparation, she said.

“And we often see them turning up on other climbing teams who are just happy to accept their money for a place on their expeditions.”

A lot of people including influencers have been documenting their Everest trips on social media in the last few years with some willing to put in the work and some less so, she said.

Ogle said she agreed that climbers wanting to take on Everest should have climbed a 7000 metre peak at least once.

“But the key caveat here is the proposed regulations require climbers to have climbed that 7000m peak in Nepal, where as lots of climbers who are already on their Everest pathways, they may have climbed a 7000m peak in South America or Kyrgyzstan or even 7000m peaks in Tibet or Pakistan – but under these proposed regulations those would not be applicable.”

That requirement could set back climbers who were wanting to take on Everest and had already climbed a 7000m peak, but just not in Nepal, she said.

“Summiting Everest (is) definitely not a walk in the park, it’s an extremely serious and dangerous mountain and you need to have experience before doing that.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/18/nepals-government-looks-to-tighten-the-rules-around-who-can-climb-mt-everest/

February 18, 2026

A ‘huge crash’: Wellington family evacuates property after huge branch hits roof during storm

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Wellington family has been forced out of their home after a large branch flattened their roof in this week’s vicious storm.

William Ray, an RNZ employee and Johnsonville resident, said his family were lucky to leave when they did, with the branch now precariously leaning against his house.

Ray said his neighbours have five big macrocarpa trees standing at the property’s boundary, and about six branches snapped in fierce winds on Sunday night or Monday morning.

The winds that struck Wellington were the strongest in a decade, tearing down power lines down across paddocks, roads, and over people’s cars and houses.

Wellington resident William Ray said a massive branch flattened the roof of his house during this week’s storm, forcing his family to evacuate. SUPPLIED

Ray said throughout the night he heard the branches overhanging his roof “smacking down” against the house.

“It was like having a machine gun constantly banging against the roof, and I was just lying awake, getting more and more nervous.”

He moved his wife and newborn into the lounge, fearing damage. Thirty minutes later, one massive branch came down.

“There was just this huge crash when it hit the house, the whole house shook.”

Ray said he considered escaping the house with his family during the night, but looked outside to see branches lying either side of the car, realising it would be too dangerous to even run to the car.

The branch went through the roof of the home. SUPPLIED

Waking on the Monday morning Ray found the big branch had flattened the roof over the bedroom, smashing up eaves on one side, and ripping off all the guttering.

Branches were still coming down as Ray inspected the house – including one lying on his front doorstep.

“It very nearly squished me, it was pretty spooky to see.”

An arborist he called in the aftermath inspected the tree and informed Ray the family can’t stay there while it was unstable.

The family would be out of their house for at least a few days. SUPPLIED

Ray said the family was likely out of their house until Monday, and while the incident had been disruptive with a five-month-old, he was thankful to be able to stay with family.

Insurance would likely cover the damage to the house, though Ray was still trying to confirm what would happen with the macrocarpa trees.

“I don’t really know how things work with tree law, I’ve been doing a lot of tree law googling, recently.

“It’s a shame to see the trees go, they’re lovely, beautiful trees but I’m not prepared to get squished by them.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/18/a-huge-crash-wellington-family-evacuates-property-after-huge-branch-hits-roof-during-storm/

February 18, 2026

Remembering Frederick Wiseman: the filmmaker who changed documentary cinema forever

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Moran, Lecturer in the Department of English, Creative Writing and Film, Adelaide University

Frederick Wiseman, who died yesterday at the age of 96, was an American filmmaker whose carefully observed works changed documentary cinema forever, shedding light on institutions, individuals and everyday life.

Born into a Jewish family in Boston in 1930, Wiseman studied law at Yale and then taught law at Boston University. At the same time, he was fascinated by documentary cinema, producing The Cool World in 1963, a film directed by Shirley Clarke about a youth gang in Harlem.

While teaching legal medicine, he came across the subject of his first documentary: the Bridgewater State Hospital for the “criminally insane”. This film would eventually become Titicut Follies, released in 1967.

With unflinching realism, the film depicts the stark cells of the inmates, the practises of force feeding and the bullying and apathy of the hospital staff. The film was banned in the United States for 20 years but was shown in Europe to critical acclaim.

Honing an observational style

Titicut Follies kicked off what Wiseman described as his ongoing “institutional series”, which focused on the inner world of American institutions, with films like High School (1968), Law and Order (1969), Hospital (1970) and Welfare (1975).

These films established Wiseman’s trademark approach: no voice-over narration, no interviews, no talking-heads experts, no music and no overt reflections by the filmmaker. Instead, he adopted an observational style, preferring to sit back and watch, allowing the film’s subject matter to emerge organically on camera.

His films were described by critics at the time as “Direct Cinema”, the American wing of the cinema verité movement, a French term meaning “truthful cinema”. He was compared to Direct Cinema filmmakers like Robert Drew – best known for his film Primary (1960), about the Democratic Party primary which elected John F. Kennedy – and D.A. Pennebaker, famous for Don’t Look Back (1967) about Bob Dylan.

While Wiseman rejected the Direct Cinema label, his films shared one very important similarity with this movement. He was deeply influenced by the freedom of using small, lightweight, hand-held cameras and portable sound-recording equipment. This relatively unobtrusive gear allowed Wiseman and his crew to shoot in high-school classrooms and hospital waiting rooms, establishing his trademark “fly on the wall” style.

Wiseman was always aware of the tension between fact and fiction in documentary filmmaking. He described his films as “reality fictions”, insisting his movies had “a dramatic sequence and structure”.

This dramatic structure emerged by paying close attention to what was happening around him when the film was being shot and later in the careful process of editing. “The principal that governs the shooting is chance”, he once said.

His crew would shoot 100 to 150 hours of footage, which was then edited into films often two or three hours long. In the editing room, Wiseman developed the subtle rhythm of his films, rewatching footage for details and connections.

This painstaking editing process often took nine to ten months.

The viewer creates meaning

For most viewers the drama of Wiseman’s films is subtle but enthralling.

In High School, we watch students and teachers go about their daily tasks in the classroom, in detention, and on the sports field. In the final sequence, a teacher reads out a letter from a former student now serving in Vietnam.

This connection between the school and the military-industrial complex is all the more devastating given Wiseman’s lack of overt narration. It is the viewer who makes the connections, creating meaning from the carefully witnessed scenes.

[embedded content]

Unlike many documentarians, like Michael Moore, whose films start out with an explicit agenda, Wiseman’s films have a disarming sense of neutrality.

He said:

“I don’t go in with a thesis I try to prove or disprove. The shooting of the film is the research. My response to that experience is what the final film is about.”

Yet his work has a deeply political core, driven by a commitment to questioning the power structures within institutions and investigating their role in shaping American life.

Welfare (1975), considered by many to be his masterpiece, is a deeply moving portrayal of New Yorkers living in poverty, depicting the daily indignities of trying to access benefits and food stamps in the face of a complex unfeeling bureaucracy.

[embedded content]

Over the course of more than 50 films, he documented everything from Central Park, the Neiman Marcus department store, the ski resort town of Aspen, and a boxing gym in Austin, Texas.

His final film, Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros (2023), made when he was 93, films the French restaurant Le Bois sans feuilles.

His influence on documentary cinema has been enormous, with directors from all over the world citing Wiseman as an inspiration. Two of the most recent are Alice Diop, a French filmmaker who chronicles immigrant life in the Parisian suburbs, and Wang Bing, whose Youth trilogy follows migrant workers in China.

Wiseman’s oeuvre is a testament to the power of documentary cinema as an art of the real. He has left us a series of works whose artistry and ethos deserve careful study, the same kind of attention he gave to everything he worked on.

– ref. Remembering Frederick Wiseman: the filmmaker who changed documentary cinema forever – https://theconversation.com/remembering-frederick-wiseman-the-filmmaker-who-changed-documentary-cinema-forever-276267

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/18/remembering-frederick-wiseman-the-filmmaker-who-changed-documentary-cinema-forever-276267/

February 18, 2026

Firearms seized in ongoing investigation

Source: New Zealand Police

Police have recovered a cache of weaponry as part of an ongoing investigation into a family harm event.

Counties Manukau West Police responded to Māngere address on Sunday afternoon.

“A disagreement between family members occurred, when a firearm was allegedly presented by one member,” Area Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Steve Albrey says.

“The man left the address in a vehicle along with an associate, and Police were contacted.”

Police responded to the area, locating this vehicle leaving a Kirkbride Road address.

“An armed traffic stop was carried out and the driver was taken into custody,” Senior Sergeant Albrey says.

“Police have returned to the Kirkbride Road property and made an armed approach to the address and invoked a search at the property.”

Inside, Police seized a range of firearms and ammunition.

“This included a pistol, revolver, pump-action shotgun and two rifles.”

Senior Sergeant Albrey says a cross bow and an imitation pistol were also recovered.

Meanwhile, units also stopped a second vehicle in connection with the family harm incident, taking that driver into custody as well.

“Our enquiries are continuing, and we expect charges will be laid,” he says.

“It’s a good outcome for the Māngere community that these firearms are now out of circulation.”

ENDS.

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/18/firearms-seized-in-ongoing-investigation/

February 18, 2026

As it happened: Evacuations as landslip narrowly misses homes in Dunedin

Source: Radio New Zealand

State Highway 75 connecting Christchurch to Akaroa reopened on Wednesday.

The New Zealand Transport Agency said road users would need to take care and prepare for temporary restrictions, but the flooding and slips had been cleared.

Banks Peninsula was pelted by ten times the monthly average rainfall in the last 48 hours.

Follow our live blog to see what happened today.

Roads damaged after floods in Akaroa. Nathan McKinnon

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

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February 18, 2026

NZ Warrior seek improvement in second NRL pre-season trial against Dolphins

Source: Radio New Zealand

Harry Tauafiafi-Iutoi scores a pre-season try for the Warriors against Manly. Kerry Marshall/Photosport

NRL pre-season: Warriors v Dolphins

Kickoff: 8pm Friday, 20 February

Leichhardt Oval, Sydney

Live blog updates on RNZ

Still smarting from a subpar performance in their first pre-season hitout, NZ Warriors will seek a drastic improvement, when they take on the Dolphins at Sydney’s Leichhardt Oval on Friday.

Coach Andrew Webster was probably eight players short of his top starting line-up against Manly last weekend, but still expected more than the disorganised 33-18 defeat to a makeshift Sea Eagles outfit in Napier.

“Parts were disappointing, definitely,” he said. “We would have liked to represent our fans a bit better, particularly down the road.

“I thought our tackling and our contact was really good, but was disappointed in our tryline defence – I thought we leaked some simple points there. Our attack was probably a bit clunky, we had some missing pieces.

“We trained 28 guys that week to give them all a go.”

His players were just as frustrated.

“You obviously want to go into a game, whether it’s a trial or a round game, and you want to win,” lock Erin Clark reflected. “We had a tough pre-season and wanted to put into play what we’d been practising.

Erin Clark frustrated with the Warriors performance against Manly. Kerry Marshall/Photosport

“It felt like, in patches, defensively we did, but I felt we missed the mark on attack and that’s definitely something we have to work on this coming week.

“We’ve got a few new players and need to get combinations going. Pre-season is about getting fit and game fitness only comes from playing footy, but it’s mainly about combos.”

For his second team of the year, Webster will welcome back several players from Māori-Indigenous duty to a gameday squad much closer to his round one selection in two weeks.

No-one wins a championship before round one, so it’s way too early to sound alarm bells, but winning is also a habit that requires practice and no time is too early to establish that routine.

“We want to win everything we do,” Webster insisted. “We talk about winning every day.

“You’re always going to have that scenario at the back of your mind, but never at the cost of subs and how many minutes people play and how we do it – we’ll always stick to that.

“It’s about a little bit of practice, but more about getting ready for game one.”

Among the rubble were a handful of individual performances that gave hope for the coming season.

Young forward Tanner Stowers-Smith came off the interchange to lead most of his team’s statistical categories, notably tackle count (39) and run metres (134).

“Tanner’s probably been our best trainer this off-season,” Clark observed. “He’s grown in confidence, after getting that taste last year.

Tanner Stowers-Smith led the Warriors in most key statistical categories against Manly. Kerry Marshall/Photosport

“He was good last year, but far out, the way he has come back to pre-season has not surprised everyone, but he’s gone to a new level.

“I reckon he was our best player on the weekend. He just came on and did all the tough stuff well.

“We’ve got to take a leaf out of his book, a few of us this week, get over the [advantage] line and be tough.”

Stowers-Smith, 21, made his debut last May against the Dolphins and logged 13 games to earn a contract extension through the 2028 season.

Another to show out was centre Ali Leiataua, who promised so much in 2025, but could not shake off an injury bug that limited him to just eight games. Against Manly, he scored two first-half tries to open his account for the season and his presence will be important, as midfield partner Rocco Berry recovers from two off-season shoulder surgeries.

“I’ve got a lot of time for Ali,” Webster admitted. “He hasn’t had much luck, but he’s had a good pre-season and put a lot of sessions together now, so I’m really happy for him.”

Perhaps the biggest silver lining to come from defeat were the final moments, when a long bench filled with age-group and reserve-grade prospects had a chance to show their wares.

Winger Motu Pasikala was called into the starting line-up, after veteran Roger Tuivasa-Sheck tweaked a hamstring in training, while fellow winger Harry Tauafiafi-Iutoi scored a late try and hooker Makaia Tafua also bamboozled the defence with a weaving 30-metre run to cross.

“I thought our regular first-graders put a lot into it, but you could see the kids’ spirit and how much it meant to them,” Webster said. “They were playing like it was their grand final and they did a great job.

Centre Ali Leiataua had a first-half try double for the Warriors against Manly. Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz

“I said to them before the game, this is an opportunity for every single person in the room to elevate their career, either cementing a spot in round one, being closer to round one or, if you’re a young guy, showing ‘Oh, he’s got something’. I think they learnt a lot and I loved the way they went about it.”

Clark was even more impressed.

“We get to see a few of those boys, when they come in and help us out at training,” he said. “My mum texted me after the game and said the Warriors are in a good place.

“The future is so bright and I was so proud of them, just the simple things they did really well.”

Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Adam Pompey, 5. Haizyn Mellars, 6. Luke Hanson, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Kurt Capewell (c), 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark

Interchange: 14. Sam Healey, 15. Morgan Gannon, 16. Leka Halasima, 17. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava

Reserves: 18. Taine Tuaupiki, 21. Kayliss Fatialofa, 22. Jack Thompson, 23. Makaia Tafua, 24. Motu Pasikala, 25. Sio Kali, 26. Caelys-Paul Putoko, 27. Geronimo Doyle, 28. Rodney Tuipuiotu-Vea, 29. Paea Sikuvea

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/18/nz-warrior-seek-improvement-in-second-nrl-pre-season-trial-against-dolphins/

February 18, 2026

Fiji’s president warns against sowing ‘seeds of fear’ ahead of elections

By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor

Fiji President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu has urged legislators not to sow seeds of “fear and division” as the country moves towards a general election later this year.

Speaking at the opening of the fourth and final session of Parliament before the polls, Ratu Naiqama called on political leaders and their supporters to engage constructively and respect the rule of law before, during and after the elections.

Fijians are expected to head to the polls anytime between August 7 (earliest) this year and 6 February 2027 (latest).

In an almost hour-long speech, which mentioned the word “unity” 17 times and covered a wide range of topics, Ratu Naiqama also confirmed the coalition government had commenced a review of the 2013 Constitution.

“The Constitution Amendment Bill, like all other Bills, will be made public and undergo an extensive consultation process with robust public debate and input before it is tabled to Cabinet and Parliament,” he said.

AI will have ‘detrimental effect on governance’
Other topics focused from unity in diversity to climate change and the threats posed by artificial intelligence.

Ratu Naiqama said he was at pains to underline factors which created division, noting the threat of false information.

On media and artificial intelligence, he said information was being disseminated at unprecedented speed but with little regard for accuracy.

“The misuse of artificial intelligence is an emerging threat that will have a detrimental effect on governance, national unity and peace,” he said.

“While freedom of expression remains a cornerstone of our democracy, it carries with it a grave responsibility.”

Fiji’s multicultural society is one of its greatest strengths, he said. However, unity did not arise automatically from diversity, he added.

“Unity must be consciously built through fair laws, inclusive policies, respectful leadership, and a shared commitment to the common good.”

Flagged Truth Commission
Ratu Naiqama flagged the Truth and Reconciliation Commission process as important to fostering unity, inclusivity and mutual understanding across all communities, saying its “findings and recommendations should be approached with maturity, guiding practical measures that strengthen reconciliation, institutional learning, and lasting social cohesion”.

The president described climate change as “the defining challenge of our time” and that Fiji would remain a global leader in climate advocacy, “while acting decisively at home”.

Looking at the region, Ratu Naiqama said Pacific nations were navigating complex geostrategic dynamics, while striving to preserve peace, cooperation and their sovereignty.

He reiterated the importance of the Ocean of Peace concept reinvigorated by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka at last year’s Pacific Forum leaders’ summit.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/18/fijis-president-warns-against-sowing-seeds-of-fear-ahead-of-elections/

February 18, 2026

Police search farm effluent ponds and waterways of missing Southland man Kevin Belling

Source: Radio New Zealand

Invercargill man Kevin Belling, 62, was last seen at his Motu Rimu farm on Friday 9 January. Supplied / NZ Police

Effluent ponds and other waterways on the farm of a missing Southland man are now being searched by the police.

Kevin Belling, 62, was last seen at his Motu Rimu farm on Friday 9 January and was reported missing on 18 January.

Search and Rescue teams have been scouring the Caesar Road property in Kapuka.

People living nearby are asked to check their properties for any sign of him.

Anyone with information that may help the police locate Kevin Belling is asked to call 105 and use reference number 260118/6964, or information can be reported anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/18/police-search-farm-effluent-ponds-and-waterways-of-missing-southland-man-kevin-belling/

February 18, 2026

Fatal dog mauling: Animal control staff visited property day before attack

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police at the scene of the fatal attack. RNZ

Animal control officers visited the property where Mihiata Te Rore was mauled to death four times, including the day before the attack.

Te Rore, 62, was visiting a person she knew at a property in the small Northland town of Kaihu when she was attacked and killed on Tuesday.

Police say the three dogs involved lived at the property.

Te Rore is the third person to be killed by dogs in Northland in the past four years, sparking calls for more to be done by local and central government to deal with the growing problem.

Police have been at the taped-off home where Te Rore died on Tuesday.

In a statement, Kaipara District Council said there had been four complaints about the dogs in November, December and this week, and had responded to each request on the same day.

“Staff visited the property on multiple occasions to attempt to speak to the owner, including reaching out to family and iwi liaison. When the dogs were seen they were on the property.

“In December staff managed to speak with the owner about compliance and keeping the dogs secure, including consequences if this did not occur. In February they visited the property twice, including the day before, but were unable to talk to the owner or uplift the dogs.”

The council said there had also been “multiple” proactive patrols in the area, looking for any loose dogs, including a door knock of every property along Kaihu Wood Road (no loose dogs were sighted during these patrols).

“Dog owners are responsible for their dogs – they have a legal responsibility to look after and control their animals but we also acknowledge that council’s animal control plays an important role in managing risks in the community. Our staff work with dog owners across the district every single day and are devastated that any such incident, in this case on private property, has occurred in Kaipara.

“We have a very small but extremely passionate team covering the whole of the district, and in their role they deal with a wide range of owners and dogs daily, often in complex and challenging situations.”

It said its animal management team was investigating the incident.

“The three dogs were secured after the event and have been impounded, and will be destroyed as soon as police have finished their investigation.”

‘All four have pack attacked my dog’

A local – who RNZ has agreed not to name – said authorities were warned in the past year about issues with the dogs.

He has had his own experience with the four dogs he says live at the property.

“They’ve actually come onto my property and attacked my dog,” he said.

“They pack attacked him, all four have pack attacked my dog, and that was just over six months ago.”

Like many in the community, he was frightened.

“It is quite stressful because you don’t even know if you’re going to get attacked and for me, I’ve got to go out my drive to get to my letterbox, and you don’t know whether the dogs are around the corner,” the man said.

“It’s really quite frightening.”

The man said Tuesday’s attack should never have happened.

“There were so many warnings before that happened and nothing had been done,” he said.

“I can’t believe that people are ringing dog control and yet nothing had been done.”

Statistics from the Kaipara District Council showed the number of dogs impounded by the council more than doubled over the four years from 2021 to 2025.

In the period from July 2022 to July 2025, there were 174 call-outs for dog attacks, but only one person was prosecuted in the same period.

RNZ asked the council to comment on these figures, but have not received a response.

The Kaipara District Council promoted cycle trails in the Kaihu area where Te Rore was killed.

Three years ago, Mike Wespel-Rose was biking on a track from Dargaville to Russell with his wife, when the pair were chased by dogs from a nearby property north of Whangārei.

“They were chasing us, and chasing us, it went on for quite a few minutes.”

“They jumped up on my wife’s bike […] we didn’t dare stop because God knows what we might’ve faced, so we just rode like crazy, very fearful about what might happen,” he said.

Wespel-Rose said the dog issue in the north is a symptom of wider problems with crime and poverty.

“It needs more resourcing doesn’t it, so that it can be dealt with more fully,” he said.

“It’s a tough one.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described Te Rore’s death as unacceptable, and said the council needed to act.

“I would expect that within seven days that the Kiapara District Council is taking action and going after the dogs, and packs of dogs that are out there,” he said.

“Just imagine being a mum with a young baby, or young toddlers, and the anxiety that that causes.”

Push to reform laws ignored

However, Auckland Council’s Animal Management said its push for the government to reform dog control laws over the past year had fallen on deaf ears.

Elly Waitoa from the council’s animal management department said she was shocked that as recently as Tuesday morning, the government had told them they were not considering changes to the dog control act.

Meanwhile, police have said they want to hear from anyone in the Kaihu community who has had issues with dogs roaming in the area.

Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer said the dogs involved were now with Animal Management.

“This was a very upsetting and tragic event in which a woman has suffered unsurvivable injuries,” he said.

“I know the community will have a lot of questions; our investigation is still in the early stages and our focus is on establishing all the facts in this case.”

‘It’s almost become normalised’

Liz Woodward, a trustee of the Best Dog Trust – which provides free desexing for dogs in Kaipara, Whangarei and Wellsford – told Checkpoint the number of animals was overwhelming.

“We’ve had a dog applied for desexing just yesterday, she had 11 puppies. That’s really common, just the sheer number of dogs and lack of affordability of vet care, and also people being able to get to vets,” she said.

“For Kaihu residents it’s 90 kilometres to get a vet in Whangarei for desexing, so it’s no easy undertaking.”

She said the price was also prohibitive.

“It ranges from about $350 for a vet in Whangarei that’s low cost, the vets we deal with in Kaipara and Wellsford are more expensive,” she explained.

“We recently desexed a 56 kilo dangerous female, and she would have cost the owner over $1200.”

Woodward said aggressive behaviour from pet dogs had become normalised in Northland.

“Probably in most communities in Northland there’s an understanding within your community that there are certain dogs on certain streets or in certain areas that you just don’t get too close to,” she said.

“It’s really disheartening to hear of tourists on our cycle trails, trying to enjoy our beautiful countryside, being chased by dogs. It’s almost become normalised up here.”

“I can’t even begin to explain how big the dog issue is for Northland.”

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/18/fatal-dog-mauling-animal-control-staff-visited-property-day-before-attack/

February 18, 2026

Chris Hipkins accuses Winston Peters of ‘pure racism’ in Parliament

Source: Radio New Zealand

NZ First leader singled out a Green MP for his Rarotongan heritage, which Labour leader Chris Hipkins says was “pure racism”. RNZ

Winston Peters has been accused of “pure racism” in Parliament by Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who has called out National ministers for failing to combat or challenge it.

The Greens say Peters is scapegoating migrants, while ACT’s David Seymour – his own Cabinet colleague – says Peters is simply seeking attention.

The condemnation came following Parliament’s Question Time on Wednesday when the NZ First leader singled out a Green MP for his Rarotongan heritage.

Green MP Teanau Tuiono had used the word “Aotearoa” to refer to New Zealand while asking questions about climate aid in the Pacific.

It prompted Peters to interrupt: “Why is [the minister] answering a question from someone who comes from Rarotonga to a country called New Zealand -“

Speaker Gerry Brownlee cut him off to object to noise from other MPs in the debating chamber.

Hipkins then leapt to his feet: “Members in this House are equal. For a member of the House to stand up and question whether someone is entitled to ask a question because of their country of origin is pure racism, and you should’ve stopped him in the beginning.”

Brownlee said he did not hear Peters’ remark, but would review the transcription later.

Peters then completed his question, asking why somebody from Rarotonga had decided “without any consultation with the New Zealand people” to change the country’s name.

In response, Brownlee said that was “not an acceptable question at all”.

“I want that to be the last time that those sort of questions are directed so personally at members of this House,” Brownlee said.

Tuiono has both Māori and Cook Islands Māori heritage but was born in New Zealand.

Hipkins calls out ‘ugly side’ to politics

In a speech to Parliament shortly later, Hipkins decried an “ugly side to New Zealand politics”, calling out “outright race-baiting” and “direct racism” being expressed in the debating chamber.

“Attacks on our Chinese and Asian communities in New Zealand, attacks on our Indian communities in New Zealand, and just today, attacks on whether those who have Pasifika heritage are entitled to ask questions in this house.

“And what have we heard from the government side on those attacks? Absolutely nothing.”

Hipkins said National ministers needed to “combat and challenge that racism” during this year’s election campaign, saying it was “totally unacceptable” for them to “say nothing and do nothing”.

“They are quite happy to stand by while members of their own government attack our Chinese community, our Indian community, our Pasifika community, migrants to New Zealand who work damn hard and contribute to New Zealand, and it’s an absolute disgrace.”

Hipkins said government ministers should celebrate diversity and not cast aspersions on it.

Speaking to reporters later, Hipkins said Peters’ behaviour “had no place in government and Parliament” – but he still would not say whether Labour would be prepared to work with NZ First after the election.

“I’m going make judgements about those things closer to the election, but I’ll call out bad behaviour when I see it.”

Greens call Peters ‘Temu Trump’, Peters says he doesn’t care

Addressing reporters outside Parliament, Tuiono said Peters was using “culture wars” to distract from the real harm he was causing New Zealanders.

“Just like Trump, he’s not very good with geography,” he said. “He just needs to get an atlas. A bilingual one preferably.”

His Green colleague Ricardo Menéndez March said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had failed to show leadership by allowing Peters – “a Temu Trump” – to spread anti-migrant sentiment.

“It’s migrant scapegoating… it’s emboldens people outside of these four walls who wish to cause harm on our migrant communities,” Menéndez March said.

Speaking afterwards, ACT leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said he would never make such comments but would leave others to judge them for themselves.

“Do I like those comments? No. Would I make those comments? No. But I think if we all go on a 2019-style witch-hunt, we’re actually just fuelling it,” he said.

“If we all get ourselves in a lather, giving them the attention that they want, then that’s just as bad.”

In response, Peters told reporters Hipkins was talking “utter nonsense” and he did not care about Seymour’s views.

“How can somebody from another country who’s come to New Zealand decide to change my country’s name?” Peters said.

When told that Tuiono was actually born in New Zealand, Peters said, regardless, the Green MP claimed to be a “Cook Islander”.

“I would never go to the Cook Islands and start changing their name, would I?”

Peters said he was regularly being “literally mobbed” by New Zealanders on matters like the use of the word Aotearoa.

“I’m not indulging fools here. Let me tell you something: stand back and watch the polls go.”

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/18/chris-hipkins-accuses-winston-peters-of-pure-racism-in-parliament/

February 18, 2026

Burglar bungles getaway, faces court

Source: New Zealand Police

An offender left himself seeing red, after a dangerous dash through red lights foiled his getaway from a burglary.

The man came to Police attention in Newmarket just after 10am on Tuesday.

“A camera operator based in Newmarket observed a ute running through several red lights and travelling on the wrong side of the road, into oncoming traffic on Broadway,” Sergeant Lindsey Dawson, from Newmarket Police says.

“This information was relayed to Police, with the ute eventually being located parked up, hidden at the rear of a motel on Owens Road in Epsom.”

A male matching the description of the driver was seen exiting one of the units and was quickly taken into custody.

“Our staff were quickly putting the dots together, as the ute matched the description of a vehicle seen casing out several Newmarket businesses earlier in the morning,” Sergeant Dawson says.

Police soon established that a burglary occurred at a Newmarket restaurant off Khyber Pass Road just prior to 10am, where a safe was taken from the premises.

After being spoken to, the man led Police to the location where the safe had been stashed, cash still inside, Sergeant Dawson says.

It’s left the 53-year-old man facing charges of burglary and dangerous driving in the Auckland District Court today.

Sergeant Dawson says Police will oppose the man’s bail.

“It’s a fantastic result, thanks to the watchful eye of the Newmarket camera operator in collaboration with Police, along with good old Police work in locating the ute, which means we’ve been able to hold the man accountable for poor driving behaviour and a burglary.”

ENDS.

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/18/burglar-bungles-getaway-faces-court/

February 18, 2026

Shortfalls in driver licensing for trucks highlighted in review

Source: Radio New Zealand

Increasing demand for truck licenses is putting pressure on testers, according to the review. File photo siwakorn / 123RF

A review of driver licensing for trucks and other heavy vehicles has found persisting weaknesses in regulatory practice.

The internal review – conducted in 2024 – was released to media today through the Official Information Act.

The report highlights weaknesses in regulatory practices, processes, and systems including competing priorities, turnover, and IT issues.

The review was conducted and delivered to the NZTA before serious misconduct including bribery was discovered at the VTNZ Highbrook branch in Auckland last year.

Stacey Shortall, who conducted the review, pointed to increasing demand for truck licenses putting pressure on testers, and a perceived focus on quantity over quality for targets.

“I heard during the review about impacts on the [land transport system] caused by the growing number of heavy vehicles needed on our roads and the changing demographics of people driving those vehicles,” Shortall wrote.

“They increase the demand for course providers to enable drivers to obtain class 2 – 5 licenses and dangerous goods’ endorsements. In turn, interviewees explained that the easy entry of new course providers, many of whom I was told are increasingly training foreign born drivers, with driving experience only from their home countries, including those for whom English is a second language, adds considerable regulatory burden that is challenging for the agency to manage.”

Shortall also noted that staff were worried that a number of course providers viewed it as an easy way to make money.

“Some interviewees raised concerns about becoming a Course Provider being perceived as lucrative, particularly in comparison to the nominal costs associated with application,” she wrote.

“By way of example, I heard of current approved Course Providers charging individual drivers upwards of $950.00 for a class 2 truck licence course.”

But Shortall also commended staff for holding a “true public servant spirit.”

“Interviewees were consistent in describing to me a deep and sincere commitment to keeping people safe on our country’s roads,” she noted.

A spokesperson for NZTA told RNZ it was taking steps to strengthen regulatory capability, governance and culture.

“[The report] highlighted a number of opportunities to strengthen our approach, making 24 recommendations focused on improving processes, systems, and information sharing,” they said.

“NZTA Waka Kotahi has accepted all recommendations, with one third already completed and work programmes are in place to complete the remainder.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/18/shortfalls-in-driver-licensing-for-trucks-highlighted-in-review/

February 18, 2026

Real wages have gone backwards. Even earning $100,000 isn’t what it used to be

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Hoy, McKenzie Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne

Figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that over the year to December, wages grew by 3.4%. For households, however, the number that really matters is what happened to wages after inflation.

Over the same period, the consumer price index (CPI) rose by 3.8%. This means real wages (wages after accounting for inflation) actually went backwards.

That’s just today’s story. The deeper story, which has now been playing out for several years, is the erosion of Australians’ sense of what a “good” wage is and how we think about wage inequality.

Many people are feeling the pinch of inflation when paying their rent, groceries, insurance, child care and other costs. That’s why even a decent pay rise can be underwhelming. Because inflation doesn’t just squeeze budgets. It quietly moves the goalposts.

Shifting benchmarks

Earning “six figures” – A$100,000 a year or more – is far from what it used to be.

For many people, cracking six figures once signalled you could live very comfortably.

Australians face a huge variety of circumstances, so it’s impossible to say a particular wage level is objectively “good”. But our estimates suggest that only around one in ten full-time workers in Australia earned $100,000 or more in 2010. By 2025, this had risen to almost one in two, at 45%.

Despite this, many households on that level of income don’t feel overly comfortable, especially in big cities where housing costs have risen sharply in recent years.

While wages have risen on average in recent years, they have not kept pace with inflation. To illustrate, if we adjust for CPI inflation, $100,000 today only has the purchasing power of about $67,000 in 2010.

So, when anyone today says “people earning six figures should be very comfortable”, they may be using an outdated benchmark given the new cost-of-living reality. That’s why many people may feel like they’re running to stand still, even on incomes that used to signal comfort.

What Australians think about wage inequality

A lot of the cost-of-living debate often mixes two different issues.

The first is whether typical living standards are rising (which is about real-wage growth).

The second is the issue of how wages are distributed across society (which is ultimately about inequality).

In my recent research with co-authors, we studied how people perceive wage inequality.

We asked a nationally representative sample of 1,500 Australians to estimate what share of full-time workers are actually on low, middle and high wages. Then, we asked what they think a fair distribution would be.

A clear pattern emerged: Australians systematically underestimate wage inequality.

The gap is bigger than we realise

Most respondents underestimated how “top-heavy” the distribution of wages is – that is, how a small group of workers at the top are earning so much more than everyone else.

Many Australians underestimate the true extent of wage inequality. David Peterson/Pexels

This matters, because public perceptions shape policies.

If people think the wage distribution is more equal than it really is, they may be less likely to support policies aimed at narrowing gaps.

That’s not because they don’t care, but because they don’t realise the true size of the problem.

Australians want fewer workers earning lower wages

Almost all respondents in our research expressed a strong preference for fewer full-time workers to earn low wages. This desire exists across political lines and income levels.

Our results show when people are provided with accurate information about wage inequality, even far-right respondents become much more supportive of redistribution.

That’s a useful reality check, because public debate is often framed as “envy versus aspiration” or “us versus them”. Our research suggests many everyday Australians are more focused on ensuring workers are paid enough to live comfortably.

What today’s wage release doesn’t capture

Today’s numbers tell us whether real wages are rising right now.

If you want a clearer read on living standards than a single wage headline, here are three questions worth asking:

Are wages consistently beating inflation? Even three months of wage growth can’t undo years of lost ground when inflation rose sharply after the pandemic.
Where are the gains concentrated? Industry and sector and gender differences shape inequality.
Have we updated our mental benchmarks for how much money it takes to live comfortably?

The cost-of-living story isn’t just about today’s number; it’s about the benchmarks inflation has quietly rewritten.

– ref. Real wages have gone backwards. Even earning $100,000 isn’t what it used to be – https://theconversation.com/real-wages-have-gone-backwards-even-earning-100-000-isnt-what-it-used-to-be-276169

Evening Report: https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/18/real-wages-have-gone-backwards-even-earning-100-000-isnt-what-it-used-to-be-276169/

February 18, 2026

Hipkins accuses Peters of ‘pure racism’ in Parliament