In an historic moment, New Zealand will host its first-ever State of Origin match next year at Eden Park, a major event expected to draw thousands of international visitors and deliver a significant economic boost for Auckland.
The New Zealand Government and Auckland Council have worked in tandem, alongside the Australian Rugby League Commission, to bring the sporting spectacular to Auckland.
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says securing one of Australasia’s biggest sporting events represents a major win for fans, tourism and New Zealand sport.
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Blues and Maroons across the ditch for the very first time,” Louise Upston says.
“This is a milestone moment for rugby league in New Zealand, but it is so much more than a game.
“Hosting State of Origin is expected to attract over 10,000 of our Aussie neighbours, generate more than 50,000 international visitor nights, and inject an estimated $17.4 million into the economy.
“With a significant Australian audience, our biggest tourism market, this match will showcase Auckland on an international stage, and put New Zealand on the map as a world-class destination for major events.”
The State of Origin series is one of the fiercest rivalries in global sport, pitting Queensland and New South Wales against each other in a high‑intensity three‑match contest. Next year, for the first time ever, one of the series matches will be played on New Zealand soil.
Hosting events has been made even easier because of changes to planning restrictions at Eden Park announced by the Government today, which will unlock the opportunity for more major events to be hosted at the stadium.
The 2027 fixture is proudly supported by the Government’s Major Events Fund and Auckland Council Events.
Dates and ticket details for the State of Origin fixture will be confirmed by the NRL later in the year.
The Government is building Eden Park’s future as a major events venue, making significant changes to local planning rules that have been holding Eden Park back from its full potential, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says.
“Late last year the Government launched an investigation into whether outdated planning rules were unnecessarily limiting Eden Park’s ability to host major events and deliver jobs and economic growth for Auckland and the rest of the country,” Mr Bishop says.
“That investigation, which included public consultation in November, found the rules were overly restrictive, out of step with modern stadium use, and were directly constraining economic activity. We have now accepted all of the recommendations in full, with some technical amendments to reflect feedback from Auckland Council.
“The changes will allow Eden Park, New Zealand’s largest stadium with a capacity of around 50,000, to host more major events that bring significant benefits to the local and national economy.
“Under the new settings, Eden Park will be able to host up to 12 large concerts and 20 medium-sized concerts per year as permitted activities, without needing resource consent. That’s up from its current limit of 12 concerts, which were not permitted to be from more than six different artists or acts.
“The changes also enable a wider range of events, including exhibitions, displays, markets, fairs, trade fairs, and cultural and community events.”
Chris Bishop says the changes are expected to be in place in April 2026.
“Concerts will be able to take place on any day, must finish by 11pm, and can run for up to eight hours. This is a significant increase on the current maximum of five hours on a weekday and six hours on a Saturday.
“Night-time sports games will be permitted on any day, including Sundays, provided noise standards are met. Existing caps on the number of night games per year and per 35-day period, as well as the restriction on day-night cricket matches, will be removed.”
Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Louise Upston says it’s a huge step forward for major events.
“We know big events deliver. For example, over three years, 14 Auckland shows (including Coldplay and Pearl Jam) generated $33.7m for the local economy with 490,000 attendees,” Ms Upston says.
“These changes sit alongside the Government’s $70 million events and tourism investment package announced in September, which is about helping New Zealand compete internationally, attract world-class events, and give both visitors and locals more reasons to get out and enjoy them.”
Auckland Minister Simeon Brown says Eden Park is our national stadium and a critical piece of infrastructure for Auckland and New Zealand, and these changes secures its future as a premier events venue.
“This is a significant win for Auckland and for New Zealand. Strengthening Eden Park’s ability to host major events supports our broader work to grow the economy and ensure Auckland remains a world-class destination.
“It means more jobs, more activity for local businesses, and more opportunities for people – whether they live here or are visiting – to enjoy more events at our largest stadium,” Mr Brown says.
“These common-sense changes will enable Eden Park to operate like a modern, world-class stadium and deliver more jobs and economic benefits for Auckland and the rest of New Zealand,” Mr Bishop says.
Note to editors:
Please see attached fact sheet which compares the key changes to Eden Park’s existing restrictions with the status quo.
Regulation-making power background:
The investigation was conducted under the new regulation-making power in the Resource Management Act, recently passed into law through the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Act 2025.
The regulation-making power enables the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform to remove or modify provisions in RMA plans where they negatively impact economic growth, development capacity or employment.
The Minister must investigate the impacts of the provisions and whether specified statutory criteria are met and produce an investigation report which must be made publicly available.
The Minister must then report to Cabinet with the findings, for a final decision on any changes to the RMA plan.
The changes will be delivered via regulations, which will require Auckland Council to amend its plan without using the regular plan-making process.
Amelia Kerr has officially been confirmed as White Ferns captain.
Kerr takes over in all formats from fellow Wellingtonian Sophie Devine who stepped down as captain following the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in October.
The 25-year-old, who has represented the White Ferns in 172 internationals, will take on the permanent leadership mantle of both the ODI and T20I sides, having previously led the side in two ODIs and two T20Is.
Her first official outing in the position will be in the T20 and ODI series against Zimbabwe later this month.
“Growing up it was my childhood dream to represent New Zealand and to now have the opportunity to captain my country is a massive privilege,” Kerr said.
“I am following an exceptional group of leaders who have captained the White Ferns before me, so I don’t take the responsibility lightly.
“The captaincy doesn’t change who I am, I am still the same person and will give everything I can to lead this group and hopefully bring our country success.”
Since making her international debut in 2016 at the age of just 16, Kerr has gone on to score 3757 runs and take 201 wickets across both formats and is already the White Ferns’ third all-time leading wicket-taker and fifth all-time leading run-scorer.
Kerr said her leadership philosophy was centred around putting people first.
“One of my favourite quotes is: ‘He aha te mea nui o te ao? He Tāngata, He Tāngata, He Tāngata.
“We are people first. As a group we look out for each other, we celebrate each other’s success and we represent our people.
“Encouraging others and building belief around us so we can all be the best we can be both as people and as cricketers.”
Amelia Kerr at a glance
WHITE FERN #188
Youngest player to ever debut for the White Ferns (16 years and 27 days)
Highest ever individual ODI score for the White Ferns (232* v Ireland 2018)
Only New Zealand player ever to win the ICC World Player of the Year (Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy)
2022 Commonwealth Games Bronze medal winner
2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup winner
2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament
3x winner of the NZC Debbie Hockley Medal
White Ferns third all-time leading wicket-taker (201 wickets)
White Ferns fifth all-time leading run scorer (3757 runs)
Every new climate change headline seems to bring another reason to be despondent about the existential challenge the world faces.
“Sometimes I just want to bury my face in the remaining snow and ice,” British Antarctic Survey director of science Petra Heil told a Wellington audience last week.
Enter Ben Marzeion.
The University of Bremen glacier scientist, in New Zealand for the international Climate in the Cryosphere conference last week, has every reason to be gloomy.
The warming that the world has already locked in – roughly 1.2° Celsius above the pre-industrial average and still rising – means the world is projected to lose 40 percent of all glacier ice over the coming centuries, half of that within the lifetimes of children born today.
But Marzeion’s presentation at the conference was not about that.
Instead, together with colleagues, he has been quantifying the impact that saving one tonne – or even one kilogram – of carbon emissions can have.
“People often really feel powerless when they’re thinking about climate change,” he told RNZ.
“They think, ok, if I change something, I do a little bit, it’s going to be meaningless if no one else is changing anything.”
He and fellow researchers always believed that way of thinking was “really wrong” – so they set about finding the numbers to prove otherwise.
“The main message is that small changes in emissions lead to changes in the climate system, in the Earth’s system, that are surprisingly big, actually.”
The average person on the planet contributes between five and 10 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year, he says.
Reducing that by even 10 percent makes a difference.
“One tonne of CO2 reduction keeps, for example, nine tonnes of glacier ice in the mountains that would melt otherwise.”
The same reduction prevents 12 cubic metres of sea level rise.
It keeps 250 grams more fish in that sea, through averted increases in ocean temperatures.
By similar mechanisms, it protects growing conditions enough to create six more kilograms of rice, or a kilogram of meat.
“All those things, and many more, are happening at the same time – it’s not that you have to pick one,” Marzeion says.
An artwork by Olafur Eliasson, The Glacier Melt, highlights glacier loss over 20 years.David St George
The research looked at the effect of even tinier emissions decreases.
“If I take my bike for around three kilometres instead of driving a car, I save one kilogram of glacier ice.”
The numbers sound small, but they are real, and they compound, he says.
“The idea behind this, really, is to show there is no lower limit to meaningful climate mitigation. Anything you can do is helpful, there is nothing that is too small to be relevant.”
He does not want to see the numbers misused to place the burden of responsibility entirely on individuals, though, emphasising that global and national political action is still vital.
“It’s often used as an excuse not just for individual people but for companies or countries not to do anything – saying we are a small country, if we lower our emissions but the US or China is not doing anything, it doesn’t make a difference.
“And that’s simply wrong – it does make a big difference.”
“We’re always behind on something. We’re always juggling too many things. We’re always trying to deal with some company that we need to remember the password for their portal, or we need to dispute an insurance claim … or we need to wait on hold for a thousand hours for something and then get disconnected and start all over again.”
American journalist Chris Colin had struck a nerve. So when he suggested gathering friends to party and do life admin, they found it funny but weren’t surprised. He has a reputation for quirky ideas.
Seven years later, there’s now a waitlist and, after writing about it for The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal last year, the concept has gone viral.
Having a few minutes break in between for socialising is important too, Chris Coin says. It has to be fun.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveils the department’s new dietary guidelines food chart during a policy announcement event.ANNA MONEYMAKER/ Getty Images via AFP
New dietary guidelines from the US have upended the traditional food pyramid, moving protein into the spotlight – but some of the maths doesn’t add up
When the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released in January, it was the graphic on the front – a food pyramid that’s been turned upside down – that grabbed attention.
But the health sector has turned its focus to the finer details; not just what’s actually in the guidelines, but who’s behind it.
“The process for the dietary guidelines in America is pretty rigourous and it actually takes years and years,” says long-time food and health journalist Niki Bezzant.
She says the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee puts together a report with recommendations for the guidelines – this takes years.
But this time, about half of those recommendations were rejected, and a new committee was formed to write new recommendations.
“That was written by some hand-picked people who were all, as it turns out, aligned with beef, dairy, protein supplement industry interests, and it’s unclear exactly how they got to where they got to with the guidelines.
“They claim to focus on gold-standard science, but actually their justifications are lacking, at least according to nutrition experts and certainly nutrition bodies around the world.”
In today’s episode of The Detail, Bezzant and dietician Caryn Zinn look at what’s changed, and the process behind those changes, as well as how this trickles down to New Zealand, and whether we can trust science coming out of the White House.
“That’s the biggest problem – people are going to look at these guidelines and go ‘oh gosh it’s part of that group which is all nutters so it’s meaningless,’ and that’s problematic,” says Zinn.
These guidelines put protein, dairy, healthy fats, vegetables and fruits at the top of the pyramid – which is now the wide part of the triangle. Whole grains are at the bottom. Sugars have disappeared altogether. The visual itself takes a few minutes to unpick.
“I don’t think they’ve done themself a service by flipping it … [my colleagues and my] philosophy was we need to flip the food pyramid in our philosophical thinking about what’s at the bottom and what’s at the top … they’ve actually visually flipped it which has added a little bit of the confusion.”
But Zinn believes the changes themselves are largely positive.
Among the positives for her: an emphasis on whole, real food over ultra-processed foods; a strong message that no amount of added sugar is considered nutritious; the prioritisation of protein, including a boost in the recommended daily intake and focus on animal proteins as opposed to plant-based; and a reduction in the recommended daily servings of grains.
Fat is also in – the guide talks about butter, olive oil and beef tallow, and recommends full-fat dairy and animal proteins without removing fat.
Zinn says this has brought controversy, because of the relationship between saturated fat and heart disease (which she says is a hotly debated topic).
The guidelines suggest keeping saturated fats under 10 percent of total calories – but Zinn says it’s “highly unlikely” that someone could eat fatty meats, oils and butter as suggested and still keep their saturated fat intake at that level.
But how much do these guidelines matter in America, let alone here?
In the US, they’re used to guide policy and food programmes in places like schools and rest homes. But here, they may still trickle through to the way people think about food – for better or worse.
“It might certainly affect people’s attitudes and eating behaviours, because we are all consuming the same content. This stuff is out there everywhere on social media,” says Bezzant.
“The irony is that most people, and this probably is true around the world, don’t follow official guidelines anyway, and certainly in America they do not.
“It’s true in New Zealand as well – we know that less than 10 percent of us eat the recommended servings of vegetables a day, five to six servings.”
“I think the danger is probably that people take the simple messages away, right, and the simple message out of this American guideline is that image [of the inverted pyramid], and it’s just ‘hey eat more steak, and butter, woohoo’.
“And if people go away and do that and they keep on eating their refined grains and their high fat diet and their high sugar and their high salt, no one’s getting healthier from that.”
Check out how to listen to and follow The Detailhere.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Sir Russell Coutts admits the smaller fleet drew mixed reviews from sailors.Alan Lee/Photosport
SailGP boss Sir Russell Coutts has confirmed this weekend’s split-fleet experiment will become the norm next year, when the professional fleet grows to 14 teams, but reaction from teams is divided.
New Zealand SailGP off Auckland’s Wynyard Point was marred by a crash that put the Black Foils and France out of the event – and probably more to come – and raised questions about the safety of having 13 boats charging off a start line together at high speed.
Sailors from both teams were hospitalised, with Kiwi grinder Louis Sinclair suffering compound fractures on both legs and French strategist Manon Audinet being assessed for abdominal bruising, after being thrown forward on impact and breaking the boat’s steering wheel.
In response, organisers decided to divide the fleet in two for Sunday’s racing to reduce the risk of more mayhem.
“We’ve been trialling that format for a while now, because we are going to that format next year for all racing,” Sir Russell said.
“It doesn’t really affect that situation that happened yesterday, because they were sailing in a straight line and it could happen with two boats in a match race.
“What it does remove is the congestion at the bottom mark gate and sometimes at the top mark gate. It just means less boats on the racecourse, particularly when they’re going in opposite directions, and particularly when it’s gusty and the course of the boats is varying a lot.
“In reality, it probably wouldn’t make much difference on the first leg of the course.”
Black Foils and France come together during racing off Wynyard Point.Felix Diemer for SailGP
Drivers provided varying reviews of the smaller fields, with some insisting they preferred the bigger fleet, while others relished the ability to sail without their heads on a constant swivel, checking for impending danger.
One of those not convinced was NZ-born Italy driver Phil Robertson, who actually predicted the reduction before it happened.
“I think it was what the sailors wanted and it was the reasonable thing to do, but the spectacle was compromised a bit,” he said. “It will probably get a heavy review and we’ll definitely have some suggestions on how to make the racing a little safer with all the boats on the course, because I think it’s good to have everyone out there.”
Sir Russell acknowledged the feedback was mixed.
“Some of them like the bigger fleet and there’s competitive elements to that too,” he said. “Some think they start better in the bigger fleet, some think they’re better in a small fleet.
“It’s competitive sport and you have to balance the politics with the real desire to make it a safer situation. That’s the role of the league to step in and say we think it’s going to provide safe racing by splitting the fleet in certain conditions, so we did it today.
“Once we grow to seven-and-seven, then eight-and-eight, split fleet will be absolutely fine. We weren’t planning on doing it this weekend, but clearly, with the conditions, it was the prudent thing to do.
“Ultimately, if it’s a question of safety over visual experience, clearly safety has to govern that decision.”
Coutts’ ultimate vision is for a 20-team championship, with split fleets of 10 boats.
Because the French were not at fault, their boat will be repaired first and, ironically, that may entail using the salvageable parts of the New Zealand boat to replace damage to the French boat.
The Black Foils were docked eight event points for causing the impact and presumably driver Peter Burling will incur more demerit points on his new licence, on top of the three he earned in a collision with Switzerland at Perth last month.
“There is a new boat under construction in Southampton, but I checked last night and that’s not due to be completed until June,” Sir Russell said. “Eventually, the league will have two spare boats, so if you had a situation like that, they would race the next day in a different boat.
“We’re not at that level yet. We’re still a relatively new sports property and we’ve got to get to that point.
The French boat will be repaired before the Kiwis, because they weren’t at fault for the incident.James Gourley for SailGP
“I think the reality is they’re out of the season standings now. Realistically, they’re not going to score any points for the first three events at least and they’re going to get some penalty points.
“They’re obviously one of the top teams in the league and it’s a tragedy that it’s happened to them, but that’s sport. Sometimes you get the unexpected and unwanted situations, but they’re a good team and they’ll come back.”
Meanwhile, Coutts confirmed Auckland would likely be retained on the SailGP calendar, despite delays in formalising a hosting agreement next year.
He admitted the hold-up was a clash with Ocean Race round-the-world event, which will also stop in Auckland early next year.
“Everyone’s super-enthusiastic, including SailGP. We’ve agreed all the major terms, the financial terms to have it here long term.
“The one stumbling block is the Ocean Race, which has an agreement prohibiting other events within 5km of their race. They are saying they don’t want SailGP at this point, but I think eventually, they will realise it’s a win for everyone to have both events here.
“I think it’s a win for Auckland City and both events. We’re restricted in our shipping dates, so we can make the event before and the event after.”
New Zealand Alice Robinson at the Winter Olympics, 2026.www.photosport.nz
Queenstown skier Alice Robinson missed out on the medals in the Giant Slalom at the Winter Olympics.
Robinson finished eighth in a very tight Giant Slalom competition, missing out on the podium by just 0.13 seconds.
Italy’s Federica Brignone completed a golden double on home snow adding the giant slalom title to the Super-G won last week, while U.S. Alpine ski great Mikaela Shiffrin again missed out on a medal finishing 11th.
Robinson made a couple of minor mistakes on her first run and was sitting in 10th position. She managed to improve a couple of places on her second run.
“I was pretty disappointed,” Robinson said, describing the moment when she first crossed the line to see that she’d missed out on a medal spot.
“I came down, and I saw I was in fourth (and that point) and only 12 hundredths behind. It was hard, but then watching the rest of the race play out, it actually ended up a bit better than I thought.”
Robinson finished eighth equal in the Super G last week.
“There have been so many emotions for me in the past month. I really wasn’t sure what to expect today. I think GS has been a bit of a question mark for me the past two months. From having such a good start to the season and then I was really struggling a lot, especially in the last race,” Robinson said.
“So, today I really didn’t know what was going to happen. I felt a lot better on my skis but I didn’t really feel like I was going to be in the running for a medal. Then to have it be so close and let it slip away, it was quite sad but I’m proud at the same time.”
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand at the Winter Olympics, Italy, 2026.www.photosport.nz
Snowboarders top qualifying
Dane Menzies and Zoi Sadowski-Synnot have topped their respective snowboarding slopestyle qualification.
With bad weather forecast the competition was brought forward a day with Menzies putting in a strong first run which included a switch backside 1260 into frontside 1440, finishing with a 1660.
His score of 86.06 put him in the top spot, and there he stayed.
“It felt pretty good for sure, I definitely was not expecting that,” said Menzies. “I didn’t expect the judges to score that high, but they’re liking my selection of rails, so that’s good.”
In the women’s qualifying rounds, defending Olympic champion Zoi Sadowski-Synnott made an immediate statement, posting an opening score of 81.73 to move into second place.
She went big on run two, adding a 1260 to her jump line and lifting her score to 88.08 to take over first place.
“It feels really good to land,” said Sadowski-Synnott. “There was a lot of pressure going into today, but I’m just grateful that we got good weather so that all the girls could show their best snowboarding.”
Lyon Farrell and Rocco Jamieson finished 15th and 18th respectively in the men’s slopestyle qualifying, while Lucia Georgalli was 20th in the women’s.
The women’s slopestyle final is scheduled for 1am Wednesday morning (NZT) with the men’s on Thursday at 12:30am (NZT).
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A privacy risk assessment was undertaken where instances of inappropriate use by Corrections’ staff were identified.RNZ / Blessen Tom
Corrections staff have been warned about the use of artificial intelligence tools after some staff were found to be using it to draft formal reports.
Corrections said any misuse of technology is taken “extremely seriously”, and that they have made it clear to staff that any use of AI tools outside of their approved use is “unacceptable”.
RNZ understands there have been instances where staff used AI to draft formal reports such as Extended Supervision Order reports.
In response to questions from RNZ, chief probation officer Toni Stewart said Corrections’ use of AI was currently limited to Microsoft Copilot. Other publicly available AI applications are blocked on the Corrections network.
“This ensures AI use at Corrections occurs within an environment where we can manage privacy and security controls.”
Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz
Staff use of Copilot was governed by its AI policy, which was in line with guidance from the government chief digital officer.
“The policy is explicit that personal information, including any identifying details, health or medical information, or details relating to people in Corrections’ management, must not be entered into Copilot Chat.”
Stewart said the uptake of Copilot remained “relatively low” with about 30 percent of Corrections staff engaging with the tool since it was introduced on Corrections devices in November 2025.
“Copilot is intended to be used solely as an assistive tool to create and refine content that does not contain sensitive information. Corrections staff can only access the free Microsoft Copilot Chat feature that is part of our existing Microsoft 365 licence and is a standalone chat function, without integration into our system data.”
Stewart said the policy was clear that Copilot Chat must not be used under any circumstances to draft, structure, analyse, or generate content for reports or assessments that contain personal information. Staff may be subject to auditing, with all prompts searchable and exportable.
“We have recently become aware of a small number of incidents where staff have used Copilot to assist with their work in a way that does not comply with our AI policy and guidance.
“We’ve taken action as soon as we’ve become aware of these instances and made it extremely clear that any use of Copilot outside of its approved use is unacceptable.”
A privacy risk assessment was undertaken where instances of inappropriate use were identified.
“Our leaders, particularly within Community Corrections where staff write a number of reports, are actively working to ensure proper AI use is an ongoing conversation with staff.
“Staff are regularly reminded of the AI policy and other relevant guidance.”
Stewart said Corrections was “actively working” to ensure any ongoing use of AI was “safe, secure and appropriate”.
“Corrections has an AI assurance officer, a function held by the director cybersecurity, who is accountable for guiding safe and secure adoption of AI. This includes external reporting to the government chief digital officer.
“Corrections participates in the All of Government Community of Practice on AI, managed by the government chief digital officer. We also have established the AI working group to provide formal governance of AI which includes embedding safe and ethical AI practices across the department and provide consistent advice on its safe use.”
Any misuse of technology was taken “extremely seriously”, Stewart said.
“We are committed to protecting the privacy of the people we work with and maintaining the professional integrity of our assessments, reports, and case documentation.”
As of Friday, no notifications had been made to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, a Corrections spokesperson confirmed.
“Alongside our existing guidance, our privacy team are working with the relevant work groups to provide further guidance on the use of Copilot in the Community Corrections space. Any information entered into Copilot by Corrections remains within the Corrections’ domain.”
A spokesperson for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) said in a statement that the Privacy Act applied to the use of personal information, including through AI tools.
It was the responsibility of agencies to understand the technology they use and to ensure use met privacy requirements, the spokesperson said.
“Corrections has stated that its policy prohibits staff from entering personal information into Copilot Chat or using Copilot to prepare reports or assessments containing personal information.
“If this is correct, then privacy concerns would be limited to any cases in which Corrections staff use Copilot in breach of Corrections policy. Where Copilot is used in a way that breaches Corrections policy, OPC would expect Corrections to take appropriate action to remedy this.”
For the first time in New Zealand, a new animal-free alternative to Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS) is being imported today by a charity, and will be trialled in a research laboratory, marking a major milestone for both science and animal welfare in Aotearoa.
Today (16/02/26) the first shipment ofFRS Pioneer,an animal-free, serum-free alternative to FBS, is en route to Aotearoa as part of a New Zealand pilot study being organised by local charityBeyond Animal Research (BAR).
Foetal Bovine Serum is a widely used laboratory product made from the blood of unborn calves and has been a default ingredient in cell culture research globally for decades. Despite growing ethical and scientific concerns, New Zealand laboratories have not previously had access to such a cost-effective, innovative, trial-ready alternative.
That changes from today.
“This is the incredible moment where change for animals used for science happens” saysTara Jackson, co-founder of Beyond Animal Research.
“For the first time, New Zealand researchers can test this new, genuine alternative to foetal bovine serum in their own labs. This shipment represents years of scientific innovation – and the beginning of a new chapter for how research can be done in Aotearoa.”
The shipment marks the official start of BAR’s New Zealand pilot study, which will support researchers to trial FRS Pioneer in research and teaching settings, document outcomes, and build local evidence to support wider uptake of animal-free methods, not just here in NZ but globally.
FRS Pioneer was developed byDr Katie Bashant Day, Chief Scientist atMedia City Scientific, in response to long-standing limitations of animal-derived serums, including ethical concerns, batch-to-batch variability, contamination risk, and supply instability.
“Foetal bovine serum is inconsistent by nature – every batch is different because every animal is different,” saysDr. Day.
“Animal-free alternatives like FRS Pioneer are designed to be more consistent, more reproducible, and better aligned with where modern science is heading. Seeing this product arrive in New Zealand for real-world trials is incredibly exciting.”
New Zealand is also a producer and exporter of foetal bovine serum, with pregnant cows sent to slaughter and blood collected from their unborn calves for use in laboratories domestically and overseas. BAR says the pilot study represents an opportunity for New Zealand to lead a transition away from this practice.
“New Zealand has the chance to be part of a global solution, not just the supply chain,” says Jackson.
“This pilot is about removing the practical barriers that stop researcher and their labs from changing – access, cost, logistics, and confidence – and replacing them with real, local evidence.”
The first researchers participating in the pilot are based atVictoria University of Wellington, with further institutions expected to join as the study progresses.
A spokesperson from Victoria University of Wellington says the pilot reflects growing interest within the research community in more ethical and scientifically robust tools.
“Researchers are increasingly aware of the limitations of animal-derived products,” the spokesperson says.
“Being able to trial an animal-free alternative in a New Zealand context is a valuable opportunity to assess both scientific performance and practical feasibility.”
BAR says the pilot is the first step in a longer-term goal to make the routine use and production of foetal bovine serum in New Zealand unnecessary and therefore obsolete.
“This single shipment matters,” says Jackson.
“But what matters more is what it enables – better science, greater transparency, and real progress for animals.”
Notes
Foetal Bovine Serum (FBS) is produced from the blood of unborn calves after pregnant cows are slaughtered.
Globally, around800,000 litresof FBS are produced each year. Because only a small amount comes from each calf, that volume likely represents the deaths of aroundone to two million unborn calvesworldwide annually.
FBS from NZ is manufactured (including slaughtered) in NZ and exported internationally.
Through an Official Information Act request to MPI, we confirmed that between January and November 2025,NZ exported approximately 29,000 kilogramsof foetal bovine serum (FBS). Based on industry yield estimates, this volume is likely to have come from the blood of tens of thousands of unborn calves – conservatively between 28,000 and 83,000 foetuses in 2025 alone.
FBS is widely used for cell culture e.g. studying human diseases, discovering new medicines, producing vaccines and cell therapies, freezing and storing cells for future experiments
Animal-free, serum-free alternatives can reduce ethical harm and improve scientific consistency and reproducibility.
This is thefirst import ofFRS Pioneerinto New Zealand.
Rain warnings for Canterbury.Supplied / MetService
Wild weather is expected to hit much of central New Zealand overnight, with multiple warnings and states of emergency.
MetService has issued a Heavy Rain Warning for Banks Peninsula, starting from 2am Monday and a Heavy Rain Watch for Canterbury Plains and foothills between the Rakaia River and Amberley.
Five districts have now declared a state of emergency – Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Tararua, Waipā and Ōtorohanga.
Manawatū District Council is the latest to make the declaration – in a post on social media, the council said it has activated its emergency response team and is closely monitoring river levels.
Heavy rain, rising rivers, slips, flooding, strong winds, and power outages are likely, the council said.
It advised people to take the declaration seriously and prepare now, while there is still daylight, make sure devices are charged and people have a battery-powered radio at the ready to listen to news updates.
The Rangitīkei, Tararua, Waipā and Ōtorohanga districts are also under states of emergency.
In a post on social media, Rangitīkei District Council said Mayor Andy Watson had made the declaration and the council had activated its emergency response team, and is closely monitoring river levels.
The council said it had also activated its process to close the Napier-Taihape Road.
It warned people to take the declaration seriously and prepare, while there is still daylight, including making sure devices are charged, and there was a battery-powered radio handy to listen to news updates.
An orange heavy rain warning has already been upgraded to a red warning – the highest level. The warning affects Manawatu, Rangatikei and Ruapehu Districts north of Feilding and east of State Highway One from 6pm tonight.
MetService said the heightened warning means there is a threat to life from dangerous river conditions and significant flooding and slips.
It says the weather conditions will isolate communities and make some roads impassable.
Several more weather warnings and watches have been issued for the east and lower North Island and the top of the South Island.
This latest burst of stormy weather comes as several regions reel from severe storms that have already closed roads, flooded properties and damaged infrastructure.
Hutt warnings
The Hutt City Council is also warning that the Waiwhetū Stream could rise rapidly overnight.
Those in the Lower Hutt suburbs of Waiwhetū, Moera, Gracefield, and Seaview are advised to evacuate immediately, and not to wait for an official warning, if rising flood water is seen.
Those needing to evacuate are advised to seek shelter with friends and family if possible – and to take pets and essential items with them.
Residents are asked to call 111 if their life or property is at risk.
They are also urged not to drive or walk through flood water as it is dangerous and may be contaminated.
Wellington trains cancelled
No trains are running in Wellington on Monday morning.
KiwiRail said a Wairarapa passenger train collided with a downed tree on Sunday.
“We are expecting winds of up to 130kph across the Wellington region overnight and on Monday morning. This poses a significant risk to the overhead electric cables across the metro network,” KiwiRail chief metro officer David Gordon said.
“Working with Metlink and Transdev Wellington, we have decided to close the metro network until network-wide daylight inspections can be undertaken. Our teams will be out on the tracks from 6am Monday, but it will take a number of hours to check the network.
“As a result, trains will not be running during the Monday morning peak. We will aim to reopen the network at 10am, depending on any damage discovered and repairs needed.”
Monday morning’s Capital Connection (Palmerston North – Wellington) train has also been cancelled.
Jeffrey Epstein didn’t operate in a vacuum. His crimes were grotesque, systematic, and, crucially, protected for decades. That alone should unsettle anyone who believes power is held accountable.
What’s disturbing isn’t only what he did, but what didn’t happen afterwards.
How does a trafficker move across borders, fly politicians and royalty, launder wealth, avoid serious prosecution for years, and then conveniently die in a high-security facility with cameras malfunctioning and guards “asleep”?
That’s not a coincidence. That’s institutional failure at best, complicity at worst.
The real scandal is the silence.
Names were known. Networks were hinted at. Evidence existed. Yet accountability stopped at Epstein himself, the perfect firewall.
How power protects itself Once he was gone, so was the urgency. Files sealed. Investigations stalled. Media interest redirected.
This is how power protects itself.
Whether you call it the Deep State, the ruling class, elite immunity, or simply entrenched systems of power, the pattern is familiar:
The powerful are insulated, the truth is managed, and justice is selective.
Epstein wasn’t an anomaly. He was a symptom.
And until transparency replaces secrecy, and accountability reaches upward instead of downward, the question will remain:
Who was Epstein really working for?
And who benefited most from him never speaking?
Maher Khalil Nazzal is a Muslim Palestinian refugee living in Auckland and co-chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA).
While the world has focused on the atrocities in Gaza, Israel continues its support of illegal settlements, hostility and apartheid in the West Bank. Asia-Pacific specialist journalist Ben Bohane reports from Bethlehem for Michael West Media.
SPECIAL REPORT:By Ben Bohane
We are no more than 5 minutes out of Bethlehem on a crisp December morning when my Palestinian driver — let’s call him Ahmed — stops and points to a curl of smoke rising in the valley below, near Beit Jala.
“That’s a local restaurant the Israeli’s are burning since last night. They demand permits even when it is on family land. Israel then gives demolition orders, and no one can stop them.”
It’s the day before Christmas. I’m in the West Bank and Israel for a month to see the situation for myself, to try and understand how this comparatively small area continues to hijack history and our news agenda.
Photojournalist and producer Ben Bohane . . . “Israel has killed more journalists in the past three years than any other government in history.” Image: BB/MWM
The international Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) states 249 media personnel have been killed so far by Israel in Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Israel and Iran since the Gaza war began.
Israel has killed more journalists in the past three years than any other government in history,
assassinating more than all media personnel killed in all the wars of the 20th century combined.
Israel has also now banned many reputable international NGOs from operating there. In late January, the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) finally acknowledged the death toll tally compiled by Palestinian health authorities as accurate, saying it believed 71,000 people had been killed so far — the death toll is now more than 72,000.
I’ve come to the other front, the West Bank, as Israeli settlers and the IDF establish new illegal settlements and make life difficult for Palestinians just trying to eke out a living.
While I’m there, Israel announces 19 new settlements, bringing to 69 the number of new settlements approved in the past few years.
They are slowly circling and strangling Palestinian towns by taking the high ground on hilltops, establishing their own roads to link up with other settlements, and destroying ancient olive groves which locals have long relied on for a meagre income.
Some of these trees are many hundreds of years old, and their desecration seems somehow symbolic of Israel’s attempts to change history and geography.
“We are trapped here”, says Ahmed. “Ever since October 7, Israel has closed off our access to Jerusalem and the rest of Israel. A lot of businesses are struggling to survive after 5 years of shutdowns — first it was covid, and then the Gaza war. No tourists for years.”
Unless they are employed in one of a handful of jobs, such as in hospitals or working for a Christian organisation, Palestinians in the West Bank can’t leave. Denied both Palestinian statehood and Israeli citizenship,
West Bank Palestinians are caught in a limbo where they can’t travel into wider Israel or beyond.
“Israel controls all our movements, all our water, and controls our petrol supply”, says Ahmed. “The only thing they don’t control is the air we breathe, and if they could control that, they would.”
Bulldozer warfare We visit a home recently bulldozed by settlers and fields uprooted because they were considered too close to the expanding nearby Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit. As locals lose access to their olive orchards, the only trees safe are those within towns or around their homes.
I see a young boy with a wheelbarrow full of seedlings and uprooted olive saplings moving towards a nearby field. Ahmed translates:
“The boy says that part of their resistance is to immediately replant the olive trees when settlers chop them down. The olives aren’t just an income for us, they are part of our identity on this land.”
We have to be quick when visiting the contested edges of these towns and fields, as settlers are always watching from nearby hilltops and the IDF can be on the scene in less than 5 minutes. On two occasions, my driver yells to get us back in the car for a hurried exit when he spots settlers driving down to intercept us.
Returning to Bethlehem, the annual Christmas parade is underway. Hundreds of Palestinian, Arab and Armenian Christians in uniforms march along roads leading to Manger Square in the heart of Bethlehem.
Palestinian Authority police guard the route and churches, including the Orthodox Basilica of the Nativity, first begun by Emperor Constantine’s Christian mother Saint Helena in the 4th century. Under this Byzantine church is a grotto where Jesus was supposedly born.
This is the first time in two years that Christmas celebrations, including a huge Christmas tree, have taken place. With few foreign tourists, shops in Bethlehem are happy to see many Muslim families from across the West Bank visiting with children to see Santa and the holy sites. It’s a peaceful time with Christian and Muslim families celebrating together.
I met Father Issa Thaljieh, a Palestinian (Greek Orthodox) priest overseeing the Basilica.
“Issa” is the Muslim name for Jesus. He says the number of Christians continues to dwindle, from 10 percent of the Palestinian population during the British mandate period 100 years ago, to around 1 percent today. Most live overseas now, with Israel incentivising their departure.
Apartheid One thing I hadn’t known until I came here is that Israelis are forbidden from entering any West Bank towns. At the entrance to many towns I visited, including Jericho and Bethlehem, are large road signs in red warning Israeli citizens not to enter.
Although usually framed as a security measure to prevent kidnapping, it has the additional impact of preventing ordinary Israelis and Palestinians from mixing together and stops Israelis from really understanding what is going on across the West Bank. It underlined the sense of apartheid, along with the long winding separation wall that snakes between Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the rest of the West Bank.
Always interested in art and graffiti as forms of resistance, I cruise a length of the wall, near two refugee camps inside Bethlehem and come across artist Banksy’s “Walled Off” hotel, which had only reopened the week before after 5 years of closure.
Upstairs is a gallery supporting local artists, downstairs a museum about the wall and “occupation”, along with a chintzy piano bar styled like a frontier saloon.
The hotel faces a section of the wall emblazoned with graffiti and promises “the worst views in the world”. The wall began construction substantially in 2002, runs for 810 kms and is Israel’s biggest infrastructure project. Banksy’s museum quotes the man put in charge of the build, Danny Tirza:
“The main thing the government told me in giving me the job was,
to include as many Israelis inside the fence and leave as many Palestinians outside as possible.
Down the road, a number of local stores have popped up selling cheap Banksy merch, and apparently, Banksy is fine with all the rip-offs.
Other days are spent visiting Jericho and Hebron with its shrine containing the tomb of Abraham, patriarch of all the monotheistic faiths.
It is a town often at flashpoint between Palestinians and hardcore Israeli settlers who have moved right into pockets of the town, protected by IDF soldiers. A day trip to Ramallah is aborted when my driver says that Israeli forces had entered that morning to destroy dozens of shops and shot two people.
“It’s too dangerous today to visit, and besides, it would take us 5 hours to get through the checkpoints instead of one hour as normal,” he says.
Every day across the West Bank, Palestinians must navigate security challenges, declining business and hungry families. Given the impunity with which Israel operates in Gaza, Palestinians across the West Bank are still standing their ground, but without much hope that the international community will stop Israel’s encroachment.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s government wants to extinguish any hope of a two-state solution, but Palestinians will not cede their homes — or their olive trees — easily.
Ben Bohane is Vanuatu-based photojournalist and producer who has reported for global media for more than three decades on religion and war across the world, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region. His website. Republished with permission,
Justice Michele Wilkinson-Smith voiced concerns about how widespread slavery was in New Zealand, including cases where youths could be brought here ‘essentially to work as domestic help or in jobs to support the family’.
INZ compliance and investigations manager Steve Watson said slavery was among the most serious crimes in New Zealand.
“It was a very disturbing case, and the victims did not deserve to be treated in that way,” he said. “It’s a very, very good sentence, and sends a very clear message that this type of slavery and exploitation won’t be tolerated. It shows that we as a country won’t tolerate it, and that it is one of the worst offences on the statute book. And [the sentence] should serve as a deterrent to others.”
INZ provided significant support to the police and the prosecution, he said, and he urged others to report offending they witness.
Moeaia Tuai in court at his sentencing on Thursday.RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Timeline of a slavemaster
“Slavery and other forms of exploitation, they are serious crimes and they’re often hidden in plain sight,” Watson said.
“So addressing serious exploitation is a priority for the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, right from policy settings through to our operational arms. MBIE and Immigration New Zealand will continue to prosecute people where we find evidence of this sort of behaviour.”
Former trafficking victims have expressed concerns about how much is being done to improve the detection of slavery and prosecute it.
“There have been few cases involving slavery in New Zealand to date,” said Wilkinson-Smith, noting the only previous major prosecution was that of Joseph Matamata in 2020.
The prosecutor in the current case noted that the female complainant had been held as a slave for even longer than Matamata’s male victims.
It was no mitigation that vulnerable victims would accept slavery as being better than a return to extreme poverty, the judge told Tuai.
She said the rapes, other violations and indecent assaults added another level of gravity to Tuai’s enslavement and theft of the young woman’s income.
“She was in a very real sense your slave. She did the work and you got the benefit.”
2003 – 2004 – Tuai and his wife emigrated to New Zealand, he worked as a prison officer for Corrections.
2017 – Tuai brought two young people to New Zealand and put the older male one to work at a boarding house belonging to his wife Senia Tuai’s sister.
2020 – The older victim, by now brought to work in Australia and joined by Tuai, ran away.
2021 – The younger female complainant, brought back to NZ, worked seven days a week for two months in laundromats.
2022 – 2024 – She continued to work, with an estimated $78,000 of her wages going to Tuai.
2024 – She ran away and alerted police to the rapes.
2024 – 2025 – Police and MBIE investigation into the slavery offending.
BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 February 2026 – The People’s Daily has launched two seasons of the documentary My China Story, featuring 10 foreigners who have pursued their careers in China. Season one features tech entrepreneur Nikk Mitchell, US zoologist Kevin Messenger, US ceramist Matt Watterson and Argentinian motorcycle designer Rodrigo Álvarez. The newly released season two of the series puts the spotlight on Neil Schmid, a US expert on Buddhist studies and Dunhuang; US martial arts lover and Taoist Jake Pinnick; French spelunker Jean Bottazzi and Russian vlogger Anton Butov, all of whom have shared their distinctive life paths in China.
My China Story gives the world a window into foreign residents who have lived across different regions with a wide range of career choices. This documentary series has gained a significant number of overseas viewers on a variety of social media platforms, including Youtube, Tiktok and X. Among all the episodes, the viewers have shown the most interest in Pinnick, who was born in the 1990s in the US, and came to China following an obsession with Chinese martial arts and Taoism studies. This contrasting background has made viewers more eager to learn why and how he lived in China ‘s Wudang Mountains for over a decade.
2025 marked a remarkable year for Pinnick. In April, he received China’s Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card — the “Five-Star Card” — and in May, he was named an Honorary Citizen of Shiyan City at an inaugural ceremony. These honors stand as powerful testaments to his decade-and-a-half journey of cultural immersion.
Pinnick’s story began in 2010 when, inspired by kung fu movies, the then-20-year-old arrived at the foot of the Wudang Mountains with zero martial arts experience and no knowledge of the Chinese language. He carried only a dictionary and a handwritten note that read, “I want to go to the Wudang Mountains.” Emerging from the morning mist, he found his purpose the moment he saw a master leading disciples in practice.
The path from novice to master has been paved with rigorous discipline. Pinnick mastered Tai Chi and various weapon techniques. Beyond the physical movements, he delved into the spiritual heart of China, studying the Tao Te Ching and learned to play Taoist music. During his toughest moments of exhaustion and homesickness, it was his “kung fu family” that gave him the strength to persevere.
Over the past 16 years, Pinnick has not only transformed personally but also witnessed China’s rapid development. He vividly remembers that reaching Wudang once required a slow train to Yibin; today, the journey is defined by high-speed rail and an expanding airport now welcoming international travelers.
Today, Pinnick serves as a vital cultural bridge. Through social media and live performances, he shares the wisdom of Wudang with a global audience. “I originally came for martial arts,” Pinnick reflects, “but I stayed for the culture and history.” Guided by his master’s philosophy that “Kung fu knows no borders,” Pinnick continues to demonstrate that martial arts is not about conflict, but about inclusivity and connecting a diverse world.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
A fifth State of Emergency has been declared ahead of severe weather expected to strike tonight and overnight.
Manawatū District Council is the latest to make the declaration – in a post on social media, the council said it has activated its emergency response team and is closely monitoring river levels.
Heavy rain, rising rivers, slips, flooding, strong winds, and power outages are likely, the council said.
It advised people to take the declaration seriously and prepare now, while there is still daylight, make sure devices are charged and people have a battery-powered radio at the ready to listen to news updates.
The Rangitīkei, Tararua, Waipā and Ōtorohanga districts are also under states of emergency.
In a post on social media, Rangitīkei District Council said Mayor Andy Watson had made the declaration and the council had activated its emergency response team, and is closely monitoring river levels.
The council said it had also activated its process to close the Napier-Taihape Road.
It warned people to take the declaration seriously and prepare, while there is still daylight, including making sure devices are charged, and there was a battery-powered radio handy to listen to news updates.
An orange heavy rain warning has already been upgraded to a red warning – the highest level. The warning affects Manawatu, Rangatikei and Ruapehu Districts north of Feilding and east of State Highway One from 6pm tonight.
MetService said the heightened warning means there is a threat to life from dangerous river conditions and significant flooding and slips.
It says the weather conditions will isolate communities and make some roads impassable.
Several more weather warnings and watches have been issued for the east and lower North Island and the top of the South Island.
This latest burst of stormy weather comes as several regions reel from severe storms that have already closed roads, flooded properties and damaged infrastructure.
We’ll be bringing you the latest weather news updates in our live blog through the afternoon and evening.
Teenager Peta Trimis celebrates an outrageous strike for the Central Coast MarinersElias Rodriguez / www.photosport.nz
Chasing a fifth straight win and club record, the Wellington Phoenix women suffered a 2-1 defeat to bogey team Central Coast Mariners in their A-League clash.
Players from both sides battled fierce winds hitting the Wellington region with blustery conditions slowing the tempo of the match at Porirua Park on Sunday evening.
A stunning free kick from 19-year-old attacker Peta Trimis put the Mariners in front in the 16th minute as she curled a right-footed strike into the top corner.
Phoenix striker Mackenzie Anthony hit the equaliser in the 28th minute scoring her first goal for Wellington.
Central Coast’s Tamar Levin used the strong winds swirling for the reigning A-League champions to score on the stroke of halftime.
The defeat ends the Phoenix’s four-game winning run as they were outplayed by a side showing greater patience and superior finishing skills in the howling winds.
Wellington are second on the competition ladder, two points behind leaders Melbourne City.