Daryl Mitchell tries to play a shot during the first ODI between India and New ZealandSHAMMI MEHRA
A stunning Men’s T20 World Cup record 175-run opening stand between Finn Allen and Tim Seifert has led New Zealand to an emphatic 10-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates in Chennai.
Set 174 runs to win, the Black Caps took just three runs off the first over but it didn’t take long for the fireworks to begin as Allen and Seifert went blow for blow as they reached 78/0 in the Powerplay.
The drinks break brought very little respite as Allen and Seifert kept the boundaries coming despite a quality four-over stint by Haider Ali that went for just 27 runs. Seifert went past 50 in just 23 balls, before Allen brought his half century up a few overs later off just 27 balls. The ding dong battle between the openers went right to the wire – with Seifert claiming the honours with the match-winning six to finish on 89* off 42.
No matter what the UAE tried, they were unable to restrict the flow of boundaries on a very good batting pitch. Haider showed the way as he rarely strayed from a good length on the stumps that proved hard to get away. Paceman Muhammad Rohid was particularly expensive as he was carted for 51 runs in just 3.2 overs.
The UAE are back in action on Friday afternoon where they will take on Canada in a winnable encounter in Delhi.
New Zealand kicked off their campaign with a clinical five-wicket win over Afghanistan on Sunday. They have a four-day break as they head to Ahmedabad for a crunch match with South Africa on Sunday, before playing their final group game against Canada next Tuesday.
Follow every ball below:
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Luca Harrington reacts in the freestyle skiing men’s freeski slopestyle final run 3 during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.JEFF PACHOUD / AFP
Luca Harrington has claimed a bronze medal for New Zealand in the men’s freestyle skiing slopestyle event overnight at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
Birk Ruud of Norway took the gold medal, while silver went to American Alex Hall.
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HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 February 2026 – VinFast and Exposure SARL announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the potential supply of electric vehicles for green taxi services in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The agreement marks an important milestone in the Vietnamese EV maker’s international expansion strategy and a major step forward in promoting the transition to green transportation in the capital of the DRC.
Ms. Le Thi Thu Thuy – Vice Chairwoman of Vingroup and Chairwoman of VinFast, and Mr. Fely Samuna Lukwaka – CEO of Exposure SARL, together with representatives of both parties at the signing ceremony.
Under the MOU, the two parties will discuss and coordinate to develop a plan to supply the first batch of VinFast electric vehicles for Exposure to operate electric taxi services in Kinshasa. This batch is expected to include the commercial-oriented Limo Green and Herio Green models, regarded as an initial foundation for an all-electric taxi model, contributing to the formation of zero-emission transport habits in urban passenger transportation in Congo.
At the same time, Exposure has expressed its intention to become a distributor of VinFast vehicles in the Congolese market and will jointly study a business plan suited to local conditions. Both parties commit to continued cooperation in good faith, laying the groundwork for deeper collaboration in the future.
The MOU between VinFast and Exposure SARL initiates the implementation of the strategic cooperation framework established by Vingroup and the City of Kinshasa in 2025. At that time, the parties agreed to study and promote the procurement and deployment of VinFast’s electric mobility solutions, including electric buses, cars, and scooters, to serve the city’s and residents’ transportation needs.
Earlier, the Kinshasa municipal authorities and Vingroup also signed an MOU to study and develop a riverside mega urban project covering approximately 6,300 hectares. Featuring housing, villas, hospitals, schools, shopping centers, hotels, and entertainment facilities, the project is expected to become a new tourism destination and a symbol of Kinshasa’s future development.
The partnerships align with the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s long-term vision for sustainable urban development and green transition, particularly in rapidly urbanizing cities such as Kinshasa, where demand for clean, smart and efficient mobility is rising. Building on the country’s renewable energy potential and commitment to low-emission growth, the initiative supports Kinshasa’s ambition to develop an integrated green infrastructure and electric mobility ecosystem.
Ms. Duong Thi Thu Trang, Deputy CEO of Global Sales, VinFast, stated: “The cooperation with Exposure SARL reflects VinFast’s confidence in the potential for green transportation in Africa and reaffirms our commitment to delivering modern, accessible green mobility solutions tailored to each market. We believe that VinFast’s electric vehicle products, proven across multiple markets, combined with Exposure’s local expertise, will help accelerate the transition to green transportation in Congo.”
Mr. Fely Samuna Lukwaka, Chief Executive Officer of Exposure SARL, said: “We are very pleased to cooperate with VinFast toward a low emission mobility future for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in general and the capital Kinshasa in particular. With a population of more than 120 million and a strategic location bordering nine countries, forming a regional market of over 200 million people, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has strong potential to become a gateway for electric vehicle development in Central Africa. We have full confidence in VinFast’s technological capabilities and product ecosystem, and we expect this cooperation to establish a foundation for the next stages of development of the electric vehicle market not only in the DRC but across the wider region.”
VinFast is a pure-play electric vehicle automaker under Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate, with a vision to drive the movement of the global smart electric vehicle revolution. Over the past years, the EV maker has expanded strongly into new and promising markets such as India, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Middle East, while continuing to strengthen its presence in key markets in Europe and North America. Strategic moves in 2025 are expected to provide strong momentum and a solid launchpad for further breakthroughs in 2026.
Hashtag: #VinFast
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Hanoi, Vietnam – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 February 2026 – With a high-quality team and the ambition to bring humanoid robots into everyday life, VinDynamics has officially introduced two key leaders, President La Manh Hung and Chief Technology Officer Nguyen Quang Vinh. Their partnership unites world-class research expertise and the ability to turn research into market-ready products, positioning the company for rapid progress in the near term.
In robotics, harmonizing cutting-edge research with real-world application remains a central challenge. VinDynamics addresses this by pairing Professor La Manh Hung, who shapes the vision through a rigorous scientific research foundation, with Nguyen Quang Vinh, who focuses on converting concepts into reliable systems used in real-world environments. Their shared objective is Robots for Everyone, where robots serve as practical assistants that make daily life easier, safer, and more efficient.
La Manh Hung, the chief architect bringing global expertise back to Vietnam
At the helm of VinDynamics is Mr. La Manh Hung, a robotics professor and Director of the Advanced Robotics and Automation Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno in the United States. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award and has received the Charles Pankow Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers twice. He also founded AIR Corp, a robotics startup backed by several major US-based investment funds.
With more than 20 years of experience, over 170 scientific publications, more than 9,000 citations, and research funding exceeding 12 million US dollars, Professor Hung serves as “chief architect” of VinDynamics long-term vision. He leads efforts to connect global research ecosystem and to establish advanced robotics standards for the company in Vietnam.
Explaining his decision to lead VinDynamics, President La Manh Hung said the move reflects both a technology opportunity and a commitment to contribute to his home country. “VinDynamics focuses on developing intelligent, safe, and versatile humanoid robots. We want robots not to remain distant technological achievements, but to become a natural, practical part of life that helps people live happier lives,” he emphasized.
CTO Nguyen Quang Vinh: Bringing robots from the lab to the real world
If Mr. La Manh Hung represents research depth, Chief Technology Officer Nguyen Quang Vinh represents execution-focused engineering.
After graduating as valedictorian of the Talented Engineer Program in Automatic Control at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, he completed five years of doctoral research on human locomotion and spent six years in the US-based robotics startup sector.
Before joining VinDynamics, he served as Head of Control and Behavior at Ghost Robotics, one of the world-leading developers of quadruped robots. He played a key role in designing control and behavior systems that enable robots to operate reliably in demanding real-world settings across security, industrial, and service applications.
At VinDynamics, Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh focuses on system-architecture standardization, safety optimization, and scalable production. His thinking is very clear: “Robots only have real value when they operate reliably, safely, and deliver measurable results in everyday life.”
Under this leadership team and a highly-qualified group of international engineers and specialists, VinDynamics has already achieved notable milestones. Its first humanoid prototype, Dyno, reached stable walking capability after just four months of development, an accelerated timeline by global startup standards.
With a strong leadership foundation and a clearly-defined strategy, VinDynamics is positioned to advance Make-in-Vietnam humanoid robots into practical deployment, serving both domestic needs and international markets.
Hashtag: #VinDynamics
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 February 2026 – MSIG Singapore has been named Digital Insurer of the Year at The Asset Triple A Digital Finance Awards 2026.
The Asset Triple A Digital Finance Awards stand as a prestigious benchmark in the industry, celebrating trailblazing innovation and outstanding digital experiences that redefine customer engagement.
Over the past year, MSIG Singapore has delivered strong financial results that has seen a double-digit increase in retail customers and policy count from online channels.
The company has also strengthened its digital proposition by broadening its suite of personal lines products, designing solutions guided by deep customer insights and data‑driven analytics. Strategic partnerships and tie-ups have also further boosted insurance accessibility and value proposition to its customers.
Through the adoption of Generative AI and RPA-driven straight-through processing, the company has elevated both service quality and operational excellence. These advancements have delivered substantial productivity gains, saving over 31,000 hours annually and have enabled twenty percent of travel claims to be automatically approved and paid within 48 hours.
Commenting on the award, Steven Leong, Head of Retail Distribution, MSIG Singapore, said “This recognition is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our people, and we are grateful to our business partners whose support has enabled us to scale new heights once again. This award not only celebrates how far we have come but also strengthens our ambition to advance MSIG’s leadership as a digital‑first insurer in Singapore.”
Hashtag: #MSIGSingapore
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
After a stop-start beginning to the year, MPs are back in Wellington for a two-week sitting block. Most of the first sitting week was taken up by debate on the Prime Minister’s Statement. There are still four and a half hours of that debate remaining, but it is no longer the main event. The House is turning its attention to government business.
That business is a hodgepodge of bills at different stages of their legislative journey. Here are the bills from the first week, and then for this week.
From the first week: Legislation on legislation, and two completed bills
The Legislation Amendment Bill completed its second reading. It is an omnibus bill (amending multiple laws), that seeks to improve the accessibility of legislation – both finding it and understanding it. The bill has near-unanimous support, though the Green Party are against it, citing provisions that would expand the powers of revision bills.
The second was the Ngāti Hāua Claims Settlement Act 2026, which contains cultural and financial redress and an apology from the Crown for historical grievances against the iwi, who are based around the Taumarunui area.
New contractor law
The first bill debated this week was the Employment Relations Amendment Bill, continuing on from the previous sitting week. The bill introduces a salary threshold for personal grievance claims for unjustified dismissal and scraps the ’30-day rule’, which currently requires new employees to be covered by a collective employment agreement for their first 30 days. All three opposition parties are strongly opposed. The government hopes to complete all remaining stages of the bill this week.
That bill is one of many at the second reading stage this week. Second readings give MPs the opportunity not only to consider any changes recommended by the examining select committee, but also to reflect on what the public had to say during the submissions process.
Other second readings this week
The Public Service Amendment Bill’s most notable, and politically divisive change relates to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). Among other things, it removes the expectation that the public service should “reflect the communities it serves”. Removing diversity provisions in favour of entirely merit-based appointments was a coalition agreement between National and New Zealand First. Opposition parties are against the bill, with Labour expressing disappointment at the lack of any attempt at bipartisan collaboration.
The 1966 Anzac Day Act lists specific conflicts that Anzac Day commemorates, with the list ending chronologically at the Vietnam War. The Anzac Day Amendment Bill would extend that recognition to all who have served New Zealand in conflicts, peacekeeping operations, and other deployments. The bill has unanimous support.
The Public Finance Amendment Bill amends the 1989 Public Finance Act which mandates fiscal transparency. If passed, it would require governments to publish a tax expenditure statement, increase the minimum forecasting period for economic and fiscal forecasts and, relevant to this year, bring forward the publication window for the pre-election economic and fiscal update, giving voters an earlier snapshot of the government’s books. It also removes the requirement for Treasury to produce a wellbeing report, a change Labour opposes.
The Patents Amendment Bill is more esoteric. It seeks to align the treatment of patent divisional applications so that applications made under the 1953 Patents Act receive the same examination process as those under the 2013 Act. Opposition parties were happy to support the bill through to select committee stage; whether that support continues at second reading will become clear this week.
The Online Casino Gambling Bill would regulate the online gambling industry by introducing a licensing regime for platforms wishing to operate in New Zealand. While opposition parties agree with the principle of regulation, they disagree with its execution, particularly the proposed number of 15 licences.
The government is refining key arrangements and functions of Health New Zealand through the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Amendment Bill, which also places greater emphasis on the entity’s infrastructure responsibilities. All three opposition parties are opposed, citing particular concerns about the role of Māori voices in the health sector.
Two brand new bills
The Armed Forces Discipline Legislation Amendment Bill should get a first debate this week. It makes a series of changes to the Defence Force’s internal justice system including establishing a minor disciplinary regime for low-level offences, along with new powers relating to searches on defence areas and drug testing of personnel. Bills of this nature are broadly uncontentious, though parties may seek technical amendments.
The other first reading this week is the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill, which seeks to realign workplace safety systems toward critical risks, focusing on the more dangerous end of risk, while reducing the bureaucratic and financial burden on businesses associated with complying with regulations.
RNZ’s The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament’s Office of the Clerk.
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SINGAPORE / KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA / HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 February 2026 – Coca‑Cola® is celebrating Lunar New Year and Tết 2026 by refreshing time-honoured traditions through the creativity of a new generation, inviting families across Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia to preserve what they love about the festival while shaping it in ways that feel personal and relevant today.
This year’s Lunar New Year/ Tết campaign focuses on re-engaging Gen Z as the new torchbearers of tradition, encouraging them to carry the New Year celebration forward by honouring its meaning while expressing it in their own creative ways — side by side with parents, grandparents, and extended family.
The campaign was built from ground up with local teams, allowing each country to lead with its own cultural stories, symbols, and rituals while being quietly connected by a shared idea of co-creation and togetherness.
“Our ambition with Lunar New Year/Têt was to help keep our beautiful traditions alive by inviting younger generations to take part in shaping them,” says Tin Le Trung, Coca-Cola Trademark Category Lead in ASEAN & South Pacific. “Across our markets, we worked closely with local teams to reimagine familiar rituals, not replace them but to refresh them. Whether it’s re-interpreting Tết symbols in Vietnam or bridging generations together through music in Singapore and Malaysia, the goal was to create celebrations that feel meaningful, joyful, and shared.”
A Shared Festive Look, Brought to Life Through Local Craft
At the heart of the campaign is a festive visual identity inspired by Asian craftsmanship, created in partnership with global brand and design consultancy Elmwood. Seen on cans, packaging, retail displays, and digital touchpoints, the system unifies the shared festive foundation, while giving each market the freedom to express its own cultural character.
Across markets, the idea of bringing generations together, like threads woven into a single celebration, shapes how the campaign comes to life. From storytelling and social content to live experiences and festive packaging, each activation invites people not just to enjoy Lunar New Year, but to take part in creating it together.
Celebration in Every Detail: Fireworks – universal symbols of joy and new beginnings – are reimagined through the lens of Asian craftsmanship. The design incorporates textural details developed with cultural inspiration from Asia’s intricate embroidery, Vietnamese brocade, and Peranakan beadwork, creating a modern, inclusive style that reflects regional diversity and artistry.
Standout Shelf Presence: Anchored by the auspicious Golden Swallows in flight alongside peach/apricot blossoms and lucky red money envelopes to symbolize and encourage family connection (in Vietnam), and limited-edition can designs featuring bold, spirit horses charging alongside flowers, ingots, oriental fans, and bamboo – each a symbol of fortune, longevity, and success (in Singapore Malaysia) – the designs make every Coca-Cola pack a collectible festive keepsake and a meaningful gift for family and loved ones.
“Our ambition was to create an identity that feels universally festive yet deeply local. For example, brocade isn’t just textile, it’s storytelling that celebrates and unites the 54 diverse ethnic groups in Vietnam,” said Lisa Balm, Executive Creative Director, Elmwood Asia. “The embroidery and weaving technique evoke intricate detail and richness, creating a culturally layered aesthetic that feels both intimate and celebratory. By focusing on shared symbols and reimagining them through the artistry and cultural depth of Asian craftsmanship, we created a single visual language that successfully translates across Tet and Lunar New Year.”
Locally focused Creative Platforms in Action
Vietnam: ‘Weaving a New Tet’
In Vietnam’s fast emerging, tech savvy market, the campaign theme “Dệt Nên Tết Mới” (“Weave a New Tet”) encourages Gen Z to create new traditions with their families. At the heart of the campaign lies a short film ‘Stitched Together’ which tells a story of a traditional family reunion, brought to life by innovative AI technology. The film is centred on the Vietnamese brocade art form, with every character, object & gesture in the film. The campaign is further amplified with a mini three-episode social film series where each episode heroes a Tet cultural item reimagined through modern visual storytelling, encouraging families to see familiar traditions into a new light.
For Gen Z, TET meals often feel predictable. The Coke Half-Half Tablecloth transforms the dining table into a festive centerpiece, visually dividing the table into two halves: one for honoring beloved Tet classics and the other for showcasing modern global flavors Gen Z craves. To inspire creativity, Coca‑Cola released a curated collection of Half-Half table ideas, blending traditional dishes with bold twists like sushi rolls, tacos, and fusion sliders.
Coke Drinkable Pháo, inspired by the crackle of firecrackers, adds a playful layer of interaction. The episode features a Vietnamese family coming together to thread strings through iconic Coca-Cola cans, tying them together to create a vibrant, eye-catching red firecracker display that is both modern and traditional. The “click” of a can opening not only signals the start of a refreshing sip but also heralds the grand beginning of the Tet celebration. Everyone lends a hand, chatting as they work – this is when the whole family “weaves” a new New Year by drawing closer together, transforming the often tedious task of cleaning into a bonding moment filled with laughter.
Coke Red Envelope: For Gen Z, the age-old Lì Xì tradition often feels like a draining ritual. The reimagined “Lì Xì from the heart” reimagines the traditional red envelope, turning it from a simple, functional gift into something deeply meaningful. Beyond lucky banknotes, each envelope holds priceless treasures from the giver’s heart: an old family photo with the promise ‘Let me take care of the family matters,’ a handwritten note telling his sister to ‘always smile brightly,’ and even a jogging date for his younger brother—each one celebrating connection, creativity and care.
Singapore & Malaysia: A Cross‑Border LNY Anthem
In Singapore and Malaysia, where festive music powers connection across generations, the theme “Grab a Coke & Huat Together this New Yearl” centers on an original Lunar New Year Anthem, 可口可樂，共創好年” that anchors a wider social-first and on-ground celebration, encouraging participation across generations both online and offline.
Music for All Generations: The song blends festive orchestration with contemporary Pop and Rap, performed by 3P (Malaysia) and Mayiduo (Singapore), and was developed hand‑in‑hand with local teams to reflect cross‑border festive traditions. From decorating homes with modernised calligraphy scrolls to gifting blind boxes in place of traditional angpaos, the music video showcases generations for all ages coming together, bridged through meaningful experiences led by Gen Z.
Immersive On Ground Experiences: In the bustling hearts of Singapore and Malaysia, vibrant experiential activations come to life, inviting families to enjoy and immerse themselves in a rich tapestry of uplifting activities such as calligraphy, fortune telling, and creating their own version of the Lunar New Year anthem.
From Social to Store
Designed as a fully integrated campaign, the Coca-Cola Lunar New Year / Tet 2026 celebrations unfold across social storytelling, live experiences, festive packaging, and in-store moments. From shareable films and music-led participation to large-scale festive activations and easy access at retail, the campaign connects celebrations with everyday moments – making it simple for families to take part whether at home, online, or in-store.
Partnerships with Grab, e-commerce platforms, supermarkets, and convenience stores ensure that festive moments flow naturally from celebration to purchase, supporting both traditional trade and modern retail.
By placing local culture and human creativity at the centre, and by inviting Gen Z to play an active role in preserving Lunar New Year traditions, Coca-Cola shows how brands can help keep cultural celebrations meaningful – not by standing apart from tradition but by celebrating it together with the people who will carry it forward.
For more information, visit www.cocacola.com or follow Coca-Cola on Facebook and Instagram.
Hashtag: #Cocacola
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
From Routine Check-ups to Advanced Endoscopy: Building a “Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery” Lifeline for Every Stage of a Pet’s Life
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 February 2026 – As a leading animal medical institution in Hong Kong, the Veterinary Emergency Centre (VEC) has always been committed to providing the most comprehensive and reliable health protection for pets. To further enhance its “General Family Vet” care experience, VEC is pleased to announce the official appointment of Dr. Martin, a professional general practitioner. Dr. Martin will lead a wide range of outpatient services, covering everything from routine physical examinations, dental care, and geriatric/pediatric care to advanced endoscopic procedures. This appointment reinforces VEC’s one-stop health commitment of “from prevention to recovery,” serving as a trusted medical backbone for pet owners.
VEC is dedicated to integrating its professional 24-hour emergency mechanism with in-depth general care. Equipped with advanced medical systems—including sophisticated operating theaters, Intensive Care Units (ICU), and CT scanners—VEC ensures precision in every step from routine screenings to deep diagnostics. Through a rigorous triage process, the centre can immediately respond to emergencies such as accidental ingestion of foreign objects, ensuring no delay in life-saving treatment. This round-the-clock intensive care capability provides the most stable support for endoscopy, dental care, and soft tissue surgery, achieving seamless protection from preventive medicine to the recovery phase.
Starting from Prevention: Building a Health Defense Line for the Entire Life Cycle
VEC’s professional dental care services for cats and dogs aim to maintain healthy teeth and gums, ensuring pets live longer and healthier lives. Many pet owners may be unaware that dental disease is one of the most common health issues in pets; up to 80% of dogs and cats begin to suffer from dental problems around the age of three. Dental disease not only causes discomfort but can also allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, leading to more serious conditions such as kidney, heart, and metabolic diseases.
Regular dental care helps prevent various health issues and reduces the risk of pain or gum infections. Early detection of dental problems significantly improves a pet’s quality of life. With extensive clinical experience, Dr. Martin excels at handling the diverse care needs of pets from puppy/kittenhood to their senior years. He firmly believes that excellent medical care should not stop at “treatment” but must begin with “prevention.”
“The role of a general family vet is to accompany pets through every stage of their lives,” says Dr. Martin. “Through regular physical exams, oral care, and ultrasound monitoring, we can detect potential health risks early and intervene before a disease develops. This not only alleviates the pet’s suffering but also significantly enhances their quality of life.” Dr. Martin also reminds pet owners: “Prevention is better than cure. Owners should pay attention to subtle but persistent changes in daily life, such as appetite, water intake, weight, and behavior patterns. These are often the most overlooked aspects of a health check-up.”
Case Study: Advanced Endoscopy Saves Pet from Major Surgery
Dr. Martin holds a keen interest in endoscopy and soft tissue surgery, utilizing advanced equipment for precise diagnosis. He recently handled a memorable emergency case involving Taro, a mischievous Jack Russell Terrier. While his owner was playing a board game, Taro curiously swallowed a die, leading to immediate vomiting and loss of appetite.
Facing this critical situation, Dr. Martin leveraged his clinical experience to perform an endoscopic procedure during the “golden window” of time. This allowed him to successfully retrieve the foreign object from Taro without the need for invasive surgery, avoiding the trauma and risks associated with traditional laparotomy. Taro recovered rapidly after the procedure and was able to return home the same day.
Dr. Martin’s diagnostic and treatment philosophy aligns perfectly with VEC’s core values. Supported by VEC’s robust 24-hour emergency infrastructure and high-end equipment, Dr. Martin provides immediate, high-level endoscopic treatment for sudden cases like Taro’s, saving critical time and reducing the risks associated with hospital transfers.
Seamless Trilingual Communication: Caring for the Vet-Patient Relationship with a “Family-First” Heart
Beyond his medical expertise, Dr. Martin’s linguistic advantages provide transparency and psychological support for pet owners. Graduating from the University of Edinburgh in 2018, Dr. Martin is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Not only can he manage various soft tissue surgeries and endoscopic treatments, but his “internal and external” versatility allows him to communicate accurately and warmly with pet owners from diverse backgrounds, helping them choose the most suitable treatment plans.
He practices medicine under the philosophy of “Caring for pets and owners with a family-first heart.” Dr. Martin believes that effective communication can alleviate the anxiety owners feel when their pets are ill, building a deep bond of trust. “I hope every owner who enters the consultation room can feel the sincerity of ‘treating pets as our own,’” he adds. “When we treat patients as family, the diagnosis becomes deeper and the treatment warmer.” This human-centric communication model helps address not only the pet’s physiological pain but also supports the owner through the ups and downs of the treatment process.
By combining VEC’s powerful hardware and 24-hour emergency system with compassionate, detailed communication, the addition of Dr. Martin ensures that the “General Family Vet” experience remains person-centered, helping pet families build a stronger and more transparent health defense line.
VEC Veterinary Emergency Centre (Belcher’s Street) Address: Shop B2-C, G/F, Luen Wai San Chuen, 136-142 Belcher’s Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong Scope of Service: Open 24/7, providing 24-hour emergency and inpatient services, house-call services, and professional support for emergencies at any time.
VEC Veterinary Emergency Centre (Davis Street) Address: Shop C & H, G/F, Luen Kee San Chuen, 9-9C Davis Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong Scope of Service: Providing specialized internal medicine, various surgical and orthopedic procedures, and outpatient services.
Unifying the Mixed-Use Portfolio of Iconic “66” Brand with Enriching Experiences and Brand Collaborations
HONG KONG SAR and SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 February 2026 – Hang Lung Properties Limited (SEHK stock code: 00101) (“Hang Lung” or the “Company”) is kicking off its 66th anniversary celebrations in the Chinese Mainland with a first look at the year-round exclusive experiences, bespoke offers, and strategic partnerships curated under the theme “66 and beyond.” Throughout 2026, the Company will bring this milestone to life across its retail, office, and hotel portfolio, showcasing one-of-a-kind collaborations and experiences designed to enrich lives and connect communities.
The Chinese New Year campaign across ten “66” malls in eight Mainland cities kicks off Hang Lung’s 66th anniversary celebrations
Rooted in the Company’s identity, “66” traces back to Plaza 66 at 1266 West Nanjing Road in Shanghai, and has since evolved into a symbol of Hang Lung’s mixed-use portfolio in the Mainland. “66 and beyond” captures the spirit of that evolution, signifying the Company’s limitless potential for the future.
As the first quarterly highlight of the anniversary year, celebrations began with the nationwide Chinese New Year campaign, “Find Your Steed, Forge Your Path“(隆馬新程), running from now until March 3, 2026. Taking place across ten “66” malls in eight Mainland cities, the campaign invites customers to explore contemporary installations that reinterpret traditional auspicious motifs along with engaging workshops and offers tailored to the cultural spirit of each city.
Hang Lung is also rolling out the year-round “66 and beyond” hotel offers, celebrating the milestone through thoughtfully curated stay, dining, and wellness experiences.
Conrad Shenyang has launched a special room rate at 66% of the Best Available Rate, an exclusive F&B set at RMB666, a special wellness experience package, and more.
Grand Hyatt Kunming is offering the complimentary Hang Lung 66th Anniversary Benefits Package to all room guests, featuring beauty, dining and other coupons at Spring City 66; a SPA Thai Aromatic Massage at RMB666; the 66th Anniversary Afternoon Tea, and special F&B menus priced at RMB66 across the hotel’s restaurants and bars, among others.
Conrad Shenyang and Grand Hyatt Kunming have launched the “66 and beyond” hotel offers
The anniversary celebrations will continue to unfold throughout 2026, with more exclusive experiences and special moments to be announced in the coming quarters, inviting customers, tenants, and communities to celebrate “66 and beyond”.
Key milestones of the “66” brand
Appendix – Details of “66 and beyond” hotel offers
Hotel
Offers
Conrad Shenyang
Guestroom
Room rate at 66% of the Best Available Rate for Premium Room and above.
Deluxe Room Package at RMB1,660 and Deluxe Suite Package at RMB2,266, each including complimentary room upgrade and F&B allowance of RMB660.
Laundry coupon at RMB66, with a redemption value of RMB100.
Others
F&B Set for Two at RMB666 at The Gallery, The Archive, LINK Restaurant and Man Tang.
Fitness center pass at RMB6,666, including 30 sessions and six additional trial vouchers; single-session access available at RMB166.
Wedding discount voucher at RMB6,666, with a redemption value of RMB10,000.
Grand Hyatt Kunming
Guestroom
Complimentary Hang Lung 66th Anniversary Benefits Package for all room guests, including beauty, dining and other coupons at Spring City 66.
Hang Lung 66th Anniversary Suite Package at RMB2,866, including the “66th Anniversary Afternoon Tea” for two at Patine Lounge and complimentary upgrade to Grand Club Lounge benefits for HOUSE 66’s Ruby Tier members and above.
Wellness
SPA Thai Aromatic Massage at RMB666.
60-minute SPA Aromatherapy Full Body Massage at RMB366 for HOUSE 66’s Agate Tier members and above.
One-month and annual membership card of the fitness center at RMB1,666 and RMB8,866 respectively for HOUSE 66’s Agate Tier members and above.
F&B
Signature dishes at RMB66 at Yun Xiang Chinese Restaurant, Grand Café, Osara Restaurant, and Altitude Bar for HOUSE 66’s Ruby Tier members and above.
10% service charge waiver on wedding package for HOUSE 66’s Sapphire and Emerald Tier members.
For complete details, please refer to the hotel’s official website, WeChat mini-program, or other official channels. More information will be announced in due course.
http://www.hanglung.com/
Hashtag: #HangLungProperties
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
The Black Caps sit second behind South Africa in Group D. The two sides will meet on Sunday, before New Zealand play their final group game against Canada next week Tuesday.
Follow every ball below:
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The police role as a “thin blue line” between public order and chaos was tested in Sydney’s CBD on Monday night.
Videos have captured the violent clashes between police and some of the thousands of protesters who gathered at the Town Hall to protest the presence of Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Australia.
One video shows a police officer repeatedly punching a man lying prone on the street, his hands pinned behind him.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has defended the actions of the police in Sydney, saying they faced an “impossible situation”.
No doubt, there will be investigations into the legality and reasonableness of the police response. But what’s also needed to prevent a repeat of Monday’s violence is a rethink of police training and protocols in NSW that are explicitly based on a respect for human rights, or what policing scholars call “human rights policing”.
Chaos erupting at the Sydney protest outside Town Hall as police clash with demonstrators.
‘Major event’ declaration
The NSW government declared Herzog’s visit to be a “major event” under state law. This gave police sweeping powers to issue move-on orders, close specific locations and search people in a designated area of the city. Essentially, it created a protest exclusion zone.
These laws, which exist in many jurisdictions, are typically used to ensure public order during major political and sporting events, such as Queensland’s prototype Major Events Act enacted before the 2014 G20 summit in Brisbane and the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
While these acts restrict otherwise lawful peaceful protests, they are limited in both time and place.
In Sydney, the NSW Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the government declaration just minutes before Monday’s protest was due to take place.
This suggested that, in the eyes of the state government and the court, public order and safety outweighed the rights of protesters, in this instance, to march through the CBD as they wished.
But the expanded legal powers of the police in these situations do not render declared public spaces “human rights-free zones”.
And public order was clearly not maintained in Sydney since the situation at Town Hall quickly devolved into violence.
So what went wrong? And how does policing need to change?
How policing in these situations can work
Policing is especially challenging in cases where two or more opposing groups seek to exercise the same rights to protest in the same public space, or the location or size of a protest raises concerns about public safety or potentially interferes with other lawful rights.
The G20 summit and Commonwealth Games in Queensland, both of which took place without significant incidents of disorder, show how this can be successfully done. These events provide a model for human rights policing – what worked well, and why.
My international review of policing the G20 summit and other major events a decade ago, conducted with two leading policing scholars, David Baker and Philip Stenning, was based on extensive empirical research. It identified several important lessons:
1) Police play a key role in upholding human rights. Balancing competing interests requires respectful dialogue between police and protest organisers and other affected community stakeholders before an event takes place
2) Framing police powers expressly within a statutory human rights framework is desirable. However, Queensland police’s own policies, practices and training were key to upholding human rights. As the public safety policy manual stated:
When possible, police will attempt to negotiate with all groups wanting to march or to use a particular space. In managing the use of public space, police will be impartial, and will use their discretion to facilitate the lawful activities of all parties
3) Policing protests also benefits from the presence of independent legal observers. They can assist in clarifying the rights and responsibilities of protesters, and help de-escalate tense situations.
Senior police officials said there had been discussions with the Palestine Action Group before Monday’s protest, in which they encouraged protesters to move to Hyde Park outside the exclusion zone.
However, there is always a risk that dialogue between police and protest organisers ahead of a demonstration does not work as planned. There can be miscommunication, mistrust and unexpected departures from agreed plans and protocol.
Large protests also attract diverse groups of people that organisers have no control over, including those who willingly engage in violent confrontations with police or opposing groups.
That said, allowing time for proper dialogue with protest organisers and community representatives can help anticipate potential flashpoints and identify the points when police will have to intervene. This dialogue can generate better understanding of:
when police give protesters a reasonable direction to disperse from an area
what constitutes a “reasonable time” to leave that area
what legal steps (arrest and removal) might be taken by police against those who refuse to comply
the range of “reasonable force” police will use to disperse crowds or arrest those who don’t comply.
Reasonable force generally depends on the situation. Above all, physical force and deployment of pepper spray must be consistent with police training and policies, and as with any coercive powers, should be used as a matter of last resort.
What needs to be done?
Proportionate and accountable policing needs to be founded in a respect for human rights to the maximum extent possible.
But it’s also important to note that human rights are rarely absolute. As a result, a person’s freedom to protest may legitimately be restricted in the interest of public safety and to safeguard the rights of others (such as using or moving freely in public spaces).
So, is human rights policing, then, practical or realistic?
NSW policymakers should examine how policing practice has changed in jurisdictions that have enacted human rights legislation (notably the United Kingdom, ACT, Victoria and Queensland).
These laws delineate when and how people’s rights to engage in peaceful public protest should be protected, and when and how far they can be restricted on public safety grounds.
The NSW government should also prioritise a reconsideration of the Human Rights Bill introduced to parliament late last year.
And learning lessons from the policing of major events in Queensland a decade ago would help move towards a more robust model of human rights policing and prevent a repeat of Monday’s violent disorder.
Professor Simon Bronitt was a member of the independent review team that reported on the operation and effectiveness of Ch19A of the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000 (Qld) used during the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The report, tabled in the Queensland Parliament, was commissioned by the Queensland Police Service in 2018, funded by a contract with the University of Queensland. The author did not receive any salary or financial benefits from his membership of the review team.
Warriors reserves celebrate a try by halfback Luke Hanson against Parramatta Eels.David Neilson/Photosport
Four players yet to make first-grade debuts will start for NZ Warriors in their pre-season trial against Manly Sea Eagles at Napier on Saturday.
With seven of his roster away on Māori-Indigenous All Stars duty in Rotorua the same night, coach Andrew Webster has had to dig deep into his extended group to fill a 28-man gameday squad.
Among the backs, fullback Geronimo Doyle and half Luke Hanson both helped the Warriors reserves to NSW Cup and NRL Interstate glory last season, while winger Haizyn Mellars has joined the club from the South Sydney programme.
Englishman Morgan Gannon is another newcomer, taking his place in the second row, while Kayliss Fatialofa claims an interchange spot.
Webster has also named 11 reserves, who likely get a run in the latter stages.
“We’re going to put a strong side out,” he insisted. “We’re really proud that we have a lot of representation with the all-stars game.
“I think we’re the most supported in the NRL and, if you look at all those players, they’re all in contention for round one, so this gives a lot of people opportunities to step up and take their chance.”
Haizyn Mellars at Warriors training.Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
“I hope we practice things – you have emphasis on different things in a pre-season and I hope we practice that this week, but at the same time, I hope we have that balance in our game, where you still have a hard edge and we still know what our identity looks like while we’re practicing.”
Missing with the Māori team are Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Te Maire Martin, Jacob Laban and Adam Pompey, while newcomer Alofiana Khan-Pereira lines up for the Indigenous team on the wing.
Among other notables missing from action this week are co-captain Mitch Barnett and halfback Luke Metcalf (still nursing their season-ending knee injuries back to full fitness), fullback Taine Tuaupiki, centre Rocco Berry (who underwent two off-season shoulder surgeries), five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita and second-rower Marata Niukore.
Webster hinted he might have considered easing his veterans into the season, but the all-star absences forced his hand to bolster the line-up with the likes of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Kurt Capewell.
“When all those fans buy their tickets and go to the game this weekend, they will be, like, ‘Wow, this is a strong team’, rather us only playing our young guys.”
The Warriors’ first line-up of the year is:
1. Geronimo Doyle, 2. Haizyn Mellars, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Leka Halasima, 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6. Luke Hanson, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. Demitric Vaimauga, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Kurt Capewell, 12. Morgan Gannon, 13. Erin Clark
Interchange: 14. Sam Healey, 15. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 16. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 17. Kayliss Fatialofa
Englishman Morgan Gannon will line up in the second row against Manly Sea Eagles.Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Meanwhile, the Manly line-up has more of an experimental appearance, with hooker Brandon Wakeham and second-rower Corey Waddell named co-captains, and teenagers Joey Walsh and Onitoni Large combining in the halves, where club legend Daly Cherry Evans will be missing for the first time since 2011.
After 352 games for the Sea Eagles, Cherry Evans, 36, has switched to Sydney Roosters for 2026.
The federal Opposition is in dire straits. Sunday’s disastrous Newspoll had the Liberals on 15% primary vote, with the Nationals at 3% – well below One Nation on 27%.
Despite the Coalition reuniting over the weekend, it’s yet to provide any answers about how it will win back key groups of voters, from Gen Z and Millennials, to urban voters in general.
Sussan Ley’s leadership appears terminal, with Angus Taylor readying for an imminent challenge.
But as Tony Barry explains on today’s podcast, a new leader alone won’t solve the Liberals’ problems, which run much deeper and mostly predate Ley’s leadership.
Barry is a former senior Liberal staffer and now director of the consultancy firm Redbridge, which does extensive polling and other political research.
On what focus groups are saying about the Liberal Party, Barry says “they just kind of laugh”.
There is substantive brand damage and they don’t take the party seriously. And the reason for that, of course, is because at the moment the Coalition is full of very unserious people.
On Taylor’s expected leadership challenge, Barry says just a change in personality at the top won’t be enough to lift the party’s “almost rock bottom” position.
The problem for the Liberal Party and the Coalition generally […] is they need to get their primary vote into the 40s. Now, in real terms, you’re talking about 3.4–3.5 million voters, give or take a couple of 100,000, extra […] Now, that is a phenomenal amount out of an electoral roll of around 18 million. So will one personality be able to win those three and a half million votes? Unlikely.
[…] If there is a change of leadership, it’s only going to be a success in the medium term if they can shape an economic narrative, perhaps put out some economic reform. And give people some hope that the Coalition does have an economic plan.
On what the Coalition should do to improve its situation, Barry says taking risks and a bold economic agenda are the only options.
I saw an interview with [former prime minister] John Howard […] where he encouraged some bold policy development. And one suggestion he had was to increase the GST rate, but offset that revenue gain with significant income tax cuts.
Because if the Coalition is to appeal to that Gen Z and millennial cohort – which they need to […] they’re polling catastrophically in that group – then having a policy prescription which lets them keep more of their income […] I think is an opportunity for the Coalition to increase their primary vote.
Barry says fewer than one in five (19%) of Australians now nominate the Coalition as the best party to manage the economy – traditionally one of the Coalition’s strong suits.
You go back to the Howard and Costello government and they had a very strong equity lead on that question. And the foundation of all their success was actually on economic management. Because […] in most years, there were income tax cuts. There was significant wage growth. And these were the things that Howard and Costello leveraged to keep on getting re-elected.
On the rising One Nation vote, Barry says there’s been a “hostile takeover” from One Nation poaching Coalition votes, based on a deep frustration with the status quo. He says many voters “want to empower One Nation to shake things up”.
We asked voters “Which of the following statements best represents your view about the political system? Minor change, major change, it doesn’t need any change, or “burn it all down?” 15% of voters said “burn it down”.
45% of voters said a more moderate […] “the system requires major change”. So that gives you a mindset of where a lot of the voters are at […]
Amongst One Nation voters, which we had at 27% [of the total], 83% of those who said they were intending to vote for One Nation said “burn it all down”.
[…] That sort of frustration is manifesting itself in Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce, who [voters] see as vehicles to really shake it all up, instead of this sort of almost sort of paper shuffling […] policy offerings that they’re getting from the major parties at the moment.
So as a veteran observer of federal politics, does Barry believe the next Liberal prime minister is in the Parliament today?
I think it’s quite possible. But it’s going to require an internal mindset change, not just from the Liberal Party but the Coalition as a whole, where they do make the internal trade-offs that are necessary to make themselves competitive again.
At the moment, we’re just seeing too many individuals who are […] trying to find points for internal difference, rather than [finding] that common ground […] I think it’s less about the personality and more about the focus of the party as a whole.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Manawatū community starts user-pays school bus after cancellation of ministry-funded service.
Parents and guardians take loans and use savings to pay for it.
Ministry has cancelled 13 services after a review it says is routine.
Manawatū parents and caregivers are dipping into their savings and even taking out loans to fund a bus service to get their children to school.
This comes after some school buses that used to run into Palmerston North were axed as a result of a Ministry of Education review into more than 250 routes nationwide.
One high school reports that 300 of its students are affected by the changes.
‘Just not fair’
Rongotea is one of the areas affected by the changes, where high school students have a 15-minute ride into Palmerston North.
Families now have to pay for the bus that was previously free for decades.
Nikita Walker has helped lead efforts to organise the user-pays service for children, at a cost of more than $500 a term per child.
“I’ve had to ask family members to help me come up with funds to pay for my daughter’s term pass because we are a one-income family and we just can’t pull that off, and I don’t see it being able to be pulled off for future terms,” she said.
“It’s causing hardship for a lot of us and it’s just not fair.”
The ministry has reviewed routes to ensure compliance with its policies, including that students must go to their closest school.
Since then it has cancelled 13 services, including the one that used to run from Rongotea and Tangimoana into Palmerston North, which fell foul of these rules but had been in place for as long as residents can recall.
Walker’s daughter Jasmine would be eligible for a bus to Manawatū College in Foxton, rather than Palmerston North Girls’ High School, where she attends – but she said changing schools with her two senior years remaining was not an option.
“I honestly wouldn’t go. I really would not go. Honestly, I’d probably just get homeschooled.”
Nikita said while about 30 students caught the user-pays bus, not everyone could afford it.
“They are currently stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“Some of them are managing to do carpooling. I’ve had families reach out to me that are saying, ‘Well, we might actually have to quit our jobs and relocate’, and sell their homes because they just can’t manage this.”
Loans and savings pay for service
Other parents and guardians in Rongotea have found ways to pay for the bus, for now at least.
“My boss is actually paying for it. I actually have to pay that back otherwise my daughter wouldn’t be going to school because I cannot afford that, being a single-income family.” said Stacey Monks.
“At the moment I’ve had to go into my savings to get the teenager who’s at [Palmerston North school] QEC, just for the term, to get him to school,” said a Rongotea grandmother, who asked not to be named.
“We’ve already started saving for next term because that’s another bill that has to be there, but at this time of the year you’ve got a high school uniform that needs to be paid for and you’ve got devices and stationery and all the rest of it. It’s just a cost that’s just unfair for our rural communities,” said Jess Greene, who is also leading the charge to stand up for affected families.
Review is routine – ministry
Ministry group manager, school transport, James Meffan said reviewing school bus routes was routine, as the location and number of eligible students constantly changed.
Last year it looked at 265 routes, out of more than 1400.
As well as the 13 cancelled routes it added 13 new ones, merged 23, lengthened 73 and shortened 114.
Meffan said it would put on buses in places such as Rongotea if enough students were enrolled at their closest school.
The ministry did not review bus routes with the intention of saving money.
School ponders user-pays buses
At Palmerston North Boys’ High School, rector David Bovey said more than 300 students were affected by the changes, and the school was thinking of putting on its own user-pays services.
“A number of young men who were due to come here in year nine this year, who are from surrounding areas, decided not to because they can’t get in here on the bus,” he said.
“We’ve had some of the senior boys who have been trying to make their own way here, but it’s been a real issue for a number of parents. We had a couple of boys who couldn’t start on time, at the same time as everyone else, because they had to organise transport.”
Education Minister Erica Stanford said bus routes weren’t for her to decide.
“The school bus rules and regulations have been in place for over 100 years and have never been changed and at some point in the future we’ll need to take a look at them, but it is an operational job for the ministry so ministers don’t get involved.”
For now, parents such as Nikita Walker were hoping the ministry does a U-turn – something that has happened before, when services were under threat in the 1990s.
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A generic image of a mixed-breed dog.Unsplash / Michael Anfang
Residents in the Far North community of Ahipara are arming themselves with sticks to protect against roaming dogs in their neighbourhood.
Local father Tyrone Biddle and his young daughters witnessed a pack of dogs attacking another neighbourhood dog last week.
“At first it looked like they were just playing, and then just within seconds it just turned to something like just really violent. So five of those dogs turned on one dog and just started mauling her,” he told Checkpoint.
“My four-year-old, I recall her just screaming and crying, because the dog that was getting mauled was a dog that was known to us. So my four-year-old screaming out this dog’s name, my seven-year-old just screaming ‘stop, stop’.”
In a statement, Far North District Council’s Hilary Sumpter said it had received 1087 reports of roaming dogs across the district at large during the last financial year, with 396 impounded.
Biddle said many parents in Ahipara were scared to let their kids walk to school on their own, and some residents had taken to arming themselves.
“This is the first time we’ve kind of seen that pack mentality kind of take effect, but my girls have been chased previously by dogs, people now walk around our community with weapons, with sticks, because they’re too scared to kind of go walking without one,” he said.
“There’s a school at the end of Ahipara that a lot of the tamariki go to, parents don’t let them walk or ride to school because of fear of all these dogs.”
Biddle said it wasn’t fair for residents to feel unsafe.
“This can’t be out of our control. This can’t be a situation in which we are kind of prisoners [in] our own community and can’t just go for a walk or let our kids experience the outdoors,” he said.
“This isn’t an anti-dog thing. This is just anti-irresponsible owners, people that choose to have dogs but don’t choose the responsibility of what comes with owning the dog.”
He criticised the council for what he viewed as a reactive approach.
“When I called the council about these dogs, they said, ‘yeah, we’re aware of these dogs.’ So if you’re aware of these dogs, what is it that you’re waiting for? What is currently happening is just not good enough for our community,” Biddle said.
“I’m just scared that the worst case scenario is that this thing getting mauled is not a dog and it’s one of our tamariki or our kaumātua or whoever it might be, because that is where I see this going.”
Sumpter said the council was taking proactive actions to prevent future issues.
“The council is currently working with the SPCA on a programme to provide dog de-sexing services in high-need communities,” she said.
“We are also actively following up on lapsed registrations. About 800 infringements have been issued district-wide in last two weeks for non-registration. Getting more dogs registered and on record means we can identify owners when their dogs are picked up. More infringements will be issued in coming weeks.”
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Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) made history this weekend as the first Superbowl halftime headliner to sing only in Spanish – that too at a moment when the United States is facing a hostile anti-immigration climate.
The show’s message of love and togetherness has reverberated across countries and cultures. It is also chock-full of symbolism and messaging that represents an alternative America to the one taking shape under Donald Trump.
Bad Bunny performed in the halftime show of the Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. Chris Torres/EPA
A fiesta celebrating Puerto Rican culture
The performance took place in a noticeably Puerto Rican setting. Fresh coconuts and piragua (snow cone) carts led the way to domino players and boxers (Puerto Rico is the world’s largest contributor of boxing champions per capita).
Bad Bunny opened with the viral hit Tití me preguntó (Tití asked me). He walks through a crew wearing costumes typical of Puerto Rican peasants, with traditional straw pava hats and humble string ropes for belts.
This sugarcane field set is a nod to an important aspect of Caribbean history, wherein sugarcane plantations represent a shared history of slavery. At the same time, sugarcanes signify an immediate link to land, hard work, national identity, and Puerto Rico’s agricultural roots.
The nation’s sugarcane industry was aggressively changed under Operation Bootstrap, a series of economic projects pushed by the US federal government from around 1947. This encouraged the establishment of factories, and private and foreign investment, to the detriment of the island’s economy and infrastructure. It provoked mass unemployment and migration to the US and, by the 1950s, had forever changed Puerto Ricans’ way of life.
While some audiences criticised the choice to sing the songs Tití me preguntó and Yo perreo sola (I twerk alone), due to their sexual lyrics, others lauded their inclusion as a form of LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. These were followed by the party-pleasers Safaera, Eoo, Party and Voy a llevarte pa PR.
Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance, singing a salsa-style version of her hit song Die with a Smile, atop a stage replica of the famous El Morro fortress in San Juan.
Gaga wore a light blue dress of the same shade that once featured in Puerto Rico’s original flag. This flag, however, was banned in 1948 under an American gag law (which ended in 1957) that tried to stifle the island’s independence movement.
During Gaga’s song, the scene of a live wedding (yes, the couple actually got married) cements Benito’s message of togetherness.
A bride and groom had their wedding held live onstage. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
A show loaded with symbolism
Apart from matching the wedding theme, the prominence of white clothing in the show reflects a reality of Caribbean daily life, wherein white was often worn to combat the harsh heat.
It also recalls various attire customarily worn in local music genres such as bomba and plena, as well as in Afro-Cuban religious traditions such as santería.
Benito’s own white shirt is emblazoned with the name “Ocasio” and the number 64. This is an homage to his late-uncle, who was born in 1964. The tribute offers a tender lesson on Spanish naming customs, as well as the cultural importance of family.
At one point, we see Benito hand his recently-won Grammy trophy (his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos was the first-ever Spanish-language album to win Album of The Year) to kid actor Lincoln Fox. Viewers were quick to point out Fox’s resemblance to Liam Conejos, the five-year-old boy whose detention by ICE agents last month caused national outrage.
Ricky Martin sang the heavily political track Lo que le pasó a Hawaii (What happened to Hawaii). This song pleads for Puerto Rico to not share a similar fate to Hawaii – the last state to join the union, at the cost of significant cultural loss, land, language and tradition.
Martin is framed by sparks coming from electrical poles in the background. They symbolise Puerto Rico’s poor electrical infrastructure, which was worsened in the aftermath of hurricanes María and Irma in 2017, and the electrical grid’s privatisation in 2021.
The show closes on a lighter note, with songs that highlight Puerto Ricanness. The track Café con Ron (Coffee with rum) takes the audience back to island customs, and the opening cañaveral (sugarcane fields).
Meanwhile, DtMF/Debí tirar más fotos (I should have taken more photos) evokes nostalgia for the past, and serves as a reminder of intercontinental unity.
Behind the crowd of pleneros (Puerto Rican drum players), a background screen reads: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love” – a direct challenge to the the anti-immigration policies currently permeating the US.
Benito track list also pays tribute to iconic reggaeton predecessors, with the inclusion of tracks by Tego Calderón, and Daddy Yankee’s 2004 hit Gasolina, among others.
Freedom in the face of oppression
President Donald Trump described the event as “one of the worst, EVER!” and a “slap in the face” to the US. I never thought I would agree with Trump, but a slap in the face it was – one that reminded us all of the fabric of what constitutes American culture.
Bad Bunny’s performance not only provided visibility to the significant Latinx/Latine population that holds the US together. It also served as evidence that accommodating to Anglo culture is no longer a requirement to fit in – especially not for the younger generations.
The halftime show served as a source of pride for Latine people around the world. John G. Mabanglo/EPA
As Bad Bunny pronounced the famous line “God Bless America” – going on to list multiple countries and territories, including Puerto Rico – he imparts a lesson all Spanish-speakers have been given at least once in our lives. For us, “America” is not limited to the land that lies between Canada and Mexico, but rather extends across continents.
Benito’s geography lesson closes with Seguimos aquí (We are still here) which, due to the Spanish language’s use of the present tense as future, can also be translated into “we will continue to be here”. A powerful message indeed.
Consuelo Martinez Reyes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A police sign outside a station in Brisbane, Australia.123RF
Police are working with Australian counterparts on an investigation into a satanic child sex abuse material ring with alleged links to New Zealand.
New South Wales police announced last week that detectives from their Sex Crimes Squad had charged a sixth man and were referring a further 145 suspects to international law enforcement agencies following an investigation into a satanic child sex abuse material ring as part of an operation called Strike Force Constantine.
Police said investigators had identified offenders from New Zealand, USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, and South East Asia.
Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz
RNZ asked New South Wales police for information on the New Zealand-based suspects and how many there were.
A spokesperson said any questions needed to be directed to New Zealand police.
RNZ asked police what work was being done by New Zealand officers in relation to the investigation, what co-operation there had been with overseas authorities and how many suspects were based in this country.
Detective Inspector Stuart Mills said New Zealand Police were “working with the New South Wales Police on this matter and will support them as requested”.
“We are not in a position to comment further at this time.”
New South Wales police said last week that Strike Force Constantine was established by State Crime Command’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit to investigate the online distribution of child sexual abuse involving ritualistic or satanic themes.
“During the investigation, detectives uncovered a Sydney-based paedophile network actively involved in possessing, distributing, and facilitating this material through a website administered internationally.”
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TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 February 2026 – CyCraft Technology Corporation (TWSE: 7823), Taiwan’s first pure-play AI-native cybersecurity company, has officially listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange Innovation Board, marking a major milestone for Asia’s emerging AI-driven security leaders.
CyCraft’s founders joined representatives from the Taiwan Stock Exchange, Yuanta Securities, auditors, and legal advisors to celebrate the company’s listing on the TWSE Innovation Board.
CyCraft is forged in one of the world’s most challenging cyber environments. Taiwan faces persistent and large-scale cyber threats from highly-motivated threat actors targeting government, semiconductor supply chains, financial systems, and critical infrastructure. Rather than theorizing about threats, CyCraft has spent years defending against them at national and industry scale.
That experience has produced real-world operational advantages global markets increasingly demand: early-warning intelligence, autonomous machine-speed defense, and field-proven AI automation that cannot be casually replicated.
As generative AI reshapes software development, many SaaS categories face commoditization through “vibe-coding.” Cybersecurity stands apart. Mission-critical defense requires real adversarial data, ultra-low latency, zero-configuration precision, continuous adaptation against sophisticated attacks, and regulatory-grade trust. These capabilities are not synthetic. AI does not replace cyber defense—it amplifies defenders who already operate in real operational environments.
CyCraft’s platform is built around three growth engines:
Enterprise Cyber Resilience.
Its flagship XCockpit AI platform operates over 600K sensors, protecting hundreds of government agencies, financial institutions, and semiconductor leaders across Asia-Pacific. The platform delivers preemptive exposure discovery, automated attack-path simulation, SEMI E187-compliant supply-chain risk mapping, and autonomous triage and response. The shift from reactive protection to preemptive resilience defines CyCraft’s core value proposition.
AI Agent & LLM Security.
As enterprises deploy LLMs and autonomous agents, CyCraft addresses a rapidly emerging risk layer. XecGuard provides ultra-low-latency AI guardrails to detect and prevent prompt injection, jailbreaks, data exfiltration, and tool misuse in real time. Paired with XecART, an automated red-teaming and evaluation platform, CyCraft delivers a scalable, cloud-based and on-prem AI gateway for secure multi-agent orchestration.
The XecGuard and XecART dashboards enable enterprise AI governance with real-time guardrails, automated red teaming, and flexible deployment via on-premises environments or cloud-based APIs.
Enterprise Cyber Resilience.
Its flagship XCockpit AI platform operates over 600K sensors, protecting hundreds of government agencies, financial institutions, and semiconductor leaders across Asia-Pacific. The platform delivers preemptive exposure discovery, automated attack-path simulation, SEMI E187-compliant supply-chain risk mapping, and autonomous triage and response. The shift from reactive protection to preemptive resilience defines CyCraft’s core value proposition.
AI Agent & LLM Security.
As enterprises deploy LLMs and autonomous agents, CyCraft addresses a rapidly emerging risk layer. XecGuard provides ultra-low-latency AI guardrails to detect and prevent prompt injection, jailbreaks, data exfiltration, and tool misuse in real time. Paired with XecART, an automated red-teaming and evaluation platform, CyCraft delivers a scalable, cloud-based and on-prem AI gateway for secure multi-agent orchestration.
The XecGuard and XecART dashboards enable enterprise AI governance with real-time guardrails, automated red teaming, and flexible deployment via on-premises environments or cloud-based APIs.
XecGuard enables enterprise AI governance with real-time guardrails and flexible deployment via on-premises environments or cloud-based APIs.
Unmanned Systems Security.
CyCraft’s XecDefend platform pioneers cyber protection and disruption capabilities for AI-driven anti-drone defense. The solution enables autonomous detection, soft-kill response, and resilient protection for unmanned aerial, maritime, and ground systems—offering software-defined defense for critical infrastructure and defense supply chains.
CyCraft’s credibility is reinforced by third-party validation, including seven appearances in Gartner research, three MITRE ATT&CK evaluations with zero-configuration and zero-latency performance, and the “Next-Big” Award from former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, recognizing CyCraft as the “TSMC of cybersecurity.”.
In 2025 alone, CyCraft handled multiple critical incidents for Taiwan-listed companies and completed over ten forensic investigations in support of cyber insurance engagements in Japan.
Chairman Benson Wu stated, “In Taiwan, with AI, we help secure the world. This listing accelerates our global expansion through organic growth and strategic M&A. Our goal is to surpass 50% overseas revenue by 2030 and build Asia’s most trusted AI-native cybersecurity brand.”
Disclaimer: The information contained herein does not constitute advice.
