Source: New Zealand Police
District:
The Northern motorway, near Moir Hill Road, is blocked due to a vehicle being on fire.
One northbound lane remains open as emergency services respond.
Motorists are asked to take alternative routes.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre.
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/lanes-blocked-northern-motorway/
Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury will arrive into Samoa this weekend for a fuel stop as the ship begins its first South West Pacific maritime operation for 2026, Operation Calypso.
The deployment includes a visit to Tokelau, a realm nation which was last visited by an RNZN ship in 2020.
Making the journey on Canterbury to the atolls of Atafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo will be the Governor-General of New Zealand Dame Cindy Kiro and her husband Dr Richard Davies, reaffirming the special bonds between the two nations as they mark the centenary of New Zealand administration of Tokelau on 11 February.
Also travelling to Tokelau will be personnel from various New Zealand Government agencies.
Weather agency MetService received a request from Tokelau government agencies for observer training and will be conducting a needs assessment as well as servicing the Automatic Weather Station on Nukunonu.
One New Zealand Police officer will take the opportunity to meet with the Tokelau Chief of Police and other officials, and an officer from the Tokelauan National Disaster Management Office will also be on Canterbury to transit between the atolls.
Once the mission in Tokelau has concluded, Canterbury will return to Apia to disembark some passengers before returning to New Zealand via Raoul Island.
On Raoul Island, Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters and flight crew who are on board Canterbury, along with New Zealand Army personnel and the ship’s company, will assist MetService and Earth Sciences New Zealand personnel to carry out upgrade and maintenance tasks of critical weather, tsunami and volcano monitoring equipment and facilities.
Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, Major General Rob Krushka, says the Pacific mission Operation Calypso highlights the capability of the New Zealand Defence Force’s people and platforms.
“Tokelau and Raoul Island are two examples of hard to reach places in our region, where carrying out tasks can be very logistically challenging.
“We’re pleased to be able to support the visit of Her Excellency the Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro and New Zealand government agencies to deliver services and equipment to these areas through one of our regular South West Pacific deployments.”
LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/06/defence-news-royal-new-zealand-navys-hmnzs-canterbury-departs-for-mission-to-tokelau/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Minister host a pet picnic at Parliament to mark the beginning of new ‘pet bond’ rules for renters, 1 December. RNZ/Craig McCulloch
More than 1700 pet bonds have been lodged with Tenancy Services since a new system allowing landlords to charge an additional bond for pets came into force late last year.
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka said 1708 pet bonds had been lodged since the changes took effect on 1 December, describing it as an early sign the policy was working.
“It’s great to see such a pawsitive (sic) response,” Bishop said. “It’s a reform that is working as intended, without any ruff (sic) edges.”
The pet bond system allows landlords to charge tenants up to two weeks’ rent as a separate bond, when they agree to a tenant keeping a pet, on top of the standard tenancy bond.
The bonds are lodged, managed and refunded through Tenancy Services in the same way as general bonds.
The changes marked a significant shift in tenancy rules, with landlords now unable to refuse a tenant’s request to keep a pet, unless they have reasonable grounds. Before the reforms, Bishop said many landlords were unwilling to consider tenants with animals at all.
“The reality at the moment is it’s a hard ‘no’ for almost everyone and what we’re doing is shifting that to ‘yes’, unless there are good reasons not to,” he said, when the rules were launched in December.
What constitutes “reasonable grounds” for refusing a pet will ultimately be determined by the Tenancy Tribunal, with tenants still liable for any pet-related damage beyond fair wear and tear.
Potaka said the milestone showed the changes struck the right balance between tenants and landlords.
“This is about giving renters a fair shot at keeping a pet, while making sure landlords have a clear and reliable process,” he said.
The reforms were marked with a pet-themed event at Parliament on the day the rules were launched.
ACT leader David Seymour said the changes were backed by groups such as Pet Refuge, which had highlighted cases where people delayed leaving dangerous situations, because they feared leaving pets behind.
“It’s worth it for that, if nothing else,” Seymour said at the time.
Tenancy Services has updated its guidance and forms to reflect the changes, and allows pet bonds to be lodged, topped up and refunded, alongside general tenancy bonds.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/pet-bonds-pass-1700-mark-in-first-months-of-new-system/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Carlo Armiento of the Wellington Phoenix in action against Melbourne Victory. www.photosport.nz
Wellington Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano says some mistakes were “inexcusable” from his Wellington Phoenix in the 3-2 loss to Melbourne Victory.
The Phoenix remain 10th on the standings and four points outside the top six with 10 matches remaining, after gifting the visitors too many good chances in front of a vocal home crowd at Sky Stadium.
Italiano was happy with most of his team’s performance, but felt they defended poorly.
“There were some really inexcusable moments that I’m really annoyed at that were easily preventable,” Italiano said. “We made some silly errors tonight… the second and third goals are terrible to concede.
“I don’t mind if we concede goals where we’re open and expansive, but not when it’s down to simple box defending principles we work on all the time.
“This is not the only game we’ve been in control and we’re just conceding at the wrong time.”
Wellington Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano. www.photosport.nz
Wellington also had a late penalty overturned following intervention from the video assistant referee.
Referee Jack Morgan initially deemed first-half goalscorer Carlo Armiento was fouled in the box, but changed his decision, after watching numerous replays, to the chagrin of Italiano.
Victory took the lead in the 10th minute, when centre-back Sebastian Esposito flicked home a near post corner.
Armiento found an equaliser in the 39th minute, but Victory reclaimed the halftime lead with their second shot on target, when Nishan Velupillay took advantage of a favourable deflection.
The visitors went two goals clear with 13 minutes remaining, with substitutes Keegan Jelacic and Louis D’Arrigo combining effectively.
The Phoenix earned a lifeline three minutes later, when Victory turned a right-wing corner into their own net.
Wellington travel to Sydney for Friday’s next match against Western Sydney Wanderers, with re-signed All Whites midfielder Sarpreet Singh is poised to play.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/wellington-phoenix-rue-lapses-in-loss-to-melbourne-victory/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Ally Wollaston represents the FDJ United-Suez team. FDJ-Suez
World Tour professional Ally Wollaston has continued her exceptional start to the year by clinching the New Zealand women’s road race title near Cambridge.
Wollaston used her sprint prowess to kick clear of a group of seven that had broken clear early in the 130km race, comprising 13 laps of a circuit.
Representing her FDJ United-Suez team, she saw off Mikayla Harvey by three seconds, followed by UCI World Esport champion Kate McCarthy in third.
Wollaston made her move on the final climb.
“Taking the jersey back with me to Europe was a really big goal for me,” said an emotional Wollaston.
“It was a tightknit group and no-one was skipping turns. Kudos to the girls who all threw the kitchen sink at it today and I was blown away that I was there for the final two laps.
“I love this loop. It feels like my backyard and I have trained here so much in my career.
“It was such a great environment out racing today.”
The win was Wollaston’s fourth in the last month.
She won the first two stages of the World Tour’s Tour Down Under near Adelaide and followed that up with victory at the one-day Great Ocean Race near Melbourne.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/ally-wollaston-sprints-to-emotional-new-zealand-road-race-title/
Source: New Zealand Government
More than 1,700 pet bonds have now been lodged with Tenancy Services since the pet bond system started on 1 December 2025, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka say.
“Pets are part of the family for many Kiwi households, so it’s great to see such a pawsitive response, with 1,708 pet bonds now lodged,” Mr Bishop says.
“The pet bond system is a practical way to make it easier for renters with pets to find a home, while giving landlords confidence there are clear protections in place. It’s a reform that is working as intended, without any ruff edges.”
Mr Potaka says the milestone shows the changes are striking the right balance.
“This is about giving renters a fair shot at keeping a pet, while making sure landlords have a clear and reliable process. It’s encouraging to see the system landing well and getting tails wagging,” Mr Potaka says.
Pet bonds can be lodged and managed through Tenancy Services, alongside the general bond, and are available where a landlord agrees to a tenant keeping a pet.
The pet bond rules include:
“Our Government is focused on a rental market that works for everyone -young renters, whanau, and the people providing homes,” Mr Potaka says.
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/tails-wagging-as-over-1700-pet-bonds-lodged/
Source: New Zealand Government
One year on from the Coalition Government’s Fast-track approvals system opening for business, New Zealand is already benefiting from faster approvals, lower costs, and real infrastructure getting underway, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones say.
“Fast-track was set up to fix a problem New Zealanders know all too well. Important projects were stuck for years in delay, buried in bureaucracy, with costs spiralling and communities missing out,” Mr Bishop says.
“Twelve months on, the results speak for themselves. Fast-track is fixing the basics of how we approve infrastructure, and building the foundations for New Zealand’s future growth.
“The first project approved under Fast-track, the Ports of Auckland wharf extension, took just 111 days from when the application was assessed as complete and in-scope by officials, to approval. Without fast-track, the same project was expected to take around five years for a decision.
“That difference is not bureaucratic trivia. It means jobs are created sooner, economic growth is unlocked earlier, and infrastructure is delivered when it is actually needed.
“Fast-track combines multiple approval processes into a single, integrated pathway, while maintaining environmental safeguards through independent expert panels and robust approval conditions.
“Fast-track is not a rubber stamp. It is about applying the same environmental rigour more efficiently, so good projects can get on with delivering.
“One year in, it’s clear to see that Fast-track is already building serious momentum.
“Nine projects have been approved so far, with another nine expected to receive decisions before the end of March.
“The nine approved projects include a new wharf and cruise ship terminal in Auckland, four housing developments across the country, three mining and quarrying projects, and one renewable energy project.
“Over their lifetimes, the projects approved so far are expected to deliver nearly 2,000 new homes, produce more than 260 million tonnes of aggregate, support thousands of jobs, and contribute billions to the economy.”
“Coming down the pipeline we have another 17 projects currently before expert panels, with their decisions expected in the coming months.
“In total, there are 76 projects currently progressing through the Fast-track process, including referral applications being considered, or have been referred by the Ministers, and substantive applications having their application assessed for completeness, or being considered by an expert panel.”
Mr Jones says the successful implementation of the legislation shows criticism was unfounded, the obstacles thrown up by opponents overcome, and the guardrails put in place worked.
“I am proud that this Coalition Government has created a process that is the envy of countries around the world. Those companies that have successfully gone through it have noted the time and money they have saved as a result. That’s time and money better spent on growing our economy and creating jobs.”
Fast-track by the numbers:
Fast-track projects approved by expert panels:
Projects currently before expert panels:
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/one-year-on-fast-track-is-building-nzs-future/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Dr Rachael Horner of the Bioeconomy Science Institute was tasked with counting the tiny whitefly eggs Craig Robertson / Bioeconomy Science Institute
In orchards and glasshouses around the motu growers make use of integrated pest management – a series of tools to minimise the impact of pest insects.
These can include bio warfare, growing pest-resistant crops and using chemical sprays.
But might there be more new tools to add?
Many pest insects communicate using vibrations and the study of this communication is called biotremology.
Researchers from the Bioeconomy Science Institute are investigating whether they can apply what they know about biotremology to use vibrations to disrupt pest insects in New Zealand.
Our Changing World‘s Claire Concannon went along to the tomato growing greenhouse where the tools had been tested.
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Pete Mundy has allowed scientists to use his tomato-growing operation as a research trial site. Claire Concannon
Greenhouse whitefly is a pest with a preference for tomato plants. Craig Robertson / Bioeconomy Science Institute
Dr Lloyd Stringer, entomologist at the Bioeconomy Science Institute, is leading the research. Craig Robertson / Bioeconomy Science Institute
The trial’s finished now and they didn’t find a big difference between the control and treatment areas, although there was a trend towards lower egg laying in the plots being treated.
In the next trial they plan to play the vibration signal more frequently to see if that makes a difference.
Claire Concannon dives deeper into biotremology on the latest episode of Our Changing World.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/country-life-good-vibes-in-the-greenhouse/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Kirsty Burrows winning pose for “Miss Pin Up” Kirsty Burrows/Kris Gallagher
For as long as I’ve been around, the township of Burkes Pass has had a prominent place in my life.
With a population of less than 100, it is the gateway to the Southern Lakes and Mackenzie Country.
It is not as grand as the Lindis, Haast, Lewis or Arthur’s Passes but tens of thousands of tourists have passed through there.
The pass, on SH8 and named after Irish bullock driver Michael Burke, rises to 709 metres and opens up the whole of the Mackenzie Basin.
My father Dave Leishman grew up there as his parents were publicans at the Burkes Pass Hotel.
The original hotel at Burkes Pass South Canterbury. Dave Taylor
When his father died tragically, in 1932, in a drowning accident on Lake Alexandrina, Dave was shuffled off to boarding school in Timaru. He was nine years old.
His mother, Myrtle, was 29 when she became sole publican of the hotel for the next thirty years.
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I remember hearing stories about grandmother Myrtle being quite a force.
The pub was a very popular place for the local young farmers to come in after a hard day on the land.
Apparently she would always insist there was a designated driver, who’d be on free raspberry-and-lemonade all night, so all his mates could drink while that one guy remained sober.
She’d keep an eye on him and make sure he was fit to drive his mates home – forward thinking for the 1950s.
The hotel is no longer there at Burkes Pass. It burned down in the mid ’90s and the owner at the time, Dave Taylor, still lives on the property having built a house on the site using part of the hotel ruins.
The remains of the Burkes Pass Hotel fire of 1994. Dave Taylor
Taylor decided if he couldn’t rebuild the hotel he would build a mini village instead.
He has done just that and named it Three Creeks, the original European name for Burkes Pass. The village area is at the confluence of Burgess Creek, the source of the Opihi River and Paddy’s Market Creek.
“I started to rebuild it, and yeah, [it] ended up turning into a shop instead,” he said.
“The original accommodation wing is our accommodation now, so we just added on to that and carried on.”
As you drive towards the southern lakes of Tekapo and Pukaki, you can’t miss Three Creeks at Burkes Pass.
It’s part museum, part store with a coffee cart perfectly positioned with the weary traveller in mind.
The replica 1950s petrol station at Three Creeks, Burkes Pass, South Canterbury. Mark Leishman
Three Creeks village has a 1950s Americana theme. It’s very eye catching and has become a rest stop for tourists and locals alike on the road to the southern lakes.
It feels like a section of the United States’ famous Route 66 has been transported here to South Canterbury.
Taylor confesses he has always been a hoarder.
“I had a museum when I was a kid. I was 10 years old and had a tree hut, and it was full of all the old stuff.
“I used to find everybody would give me stuff and so I’ve been collecting old stuff since then.”
RNZ Country Life producer Mark Leishman with Three Creeks owner Dave Taylor at Burkes Pass. Jo Raymond
He has also been making wooden outdoor furniture there for 20 years.
“We mill our own macrocarpa and make all our own furniture. It’s good, heavy stuff that doesn’t blow away in the wind.”
He has a workshop on site, with five workers creating outdoor furniture, tiny houses and traditional shepherd’s huts on wheels, complete with kitchenettes, bathrooms and solar power.
Arguably Three Creeks’ most glamourous personage is Taylor’s partner, Kirsty Burrows, who has immersed herself in the world of vintage dress.
Burrows is a vision of colour, with flaming orange hair and vibrant dresses and, like her partner, she has been an inveterate collector of all things vintage from a young age.
Kirsty Burrows at Three Creeks Burkes Pass, South Canterbury. Kirsty Burrows/Kris Gallagher
“I did rock and roll dancing and swing dancing for years, and grew up with my grandparents, so the vintage culture was always there, and the music.”
Her artful dressing and posing in front of the replica Texaco gas station at Three Creeks recently won her an international pin-up title.
“It’s sort of like that classic era that is kind of timeless, when you think of post World War Two, Betty Grable and Betty Boop.
“The fashion is really quite, quite timeless, we think, anyway, so you could wear it till you’re 80. Doesn’t matter what your age or body shape is.”
Burrows says there is quite a market for the dresses and it gets quite addictive.
“I’ve probably got 70 dresses, but then you’ve got your hats, your gloves, your handbags, your jewellery, make-up for Africa, it’s a lot of fun,” she told Country Life.
“We all just like playing dress up, and have never really grown out of it.
“My hair usually gets the most attention, but people just just like it and say you’ve brightened up my day with your colour and and they love it.”
For Burrows, being immersed in a bygone age with others means collective self esteem.
“These women really empower each other, and they lift each other up.
“They go out there full of confidence, especially the young girls, and learn that you don’t have to be a size eight to be beautiful.
“And these girls go out there and they shake their stuff and they just look amazing, and they own it, and that’s what it’s all about.”
West of Burkes Pass you’ll find the bullock wagon trail heading up the pass, and the cemetery.
Burkes Pass cemetery. Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
It is rich in history, too, and graves include those of CWF Hamilton, the local farmer who invented the jet boat.
Many of the gravestones are made out of local boulders and mark the burial sites of international climbers who died on our mountains.
“The mountains are here calling and I must go,” one plaque reads.
Another grave belongs to Kenneth Payne, an Australian geologist who loved the New Zealand mountains, and who tragically died in 1986 trying to arrest his companion’s fall on Mount Cook.
His gravestone includes a brass-mounted ice pick, some rope and rosary beads.
“He came to New Zealand for the love of the mountains, and he will remain here forever,” his plaque reads.
The gravestone of a fallen climber. Mark Leishman
And on a personal note, my dear grandfather who I never met, is buried there.
David Mowat McGregor Leishman, the local publican, died in 1932, aged 41.
He had a heart attack while fishing one day at Lake Alexandrina and fell in the very, very cold waters of the lake and drowned.
He has been resting in the Burkes Pass cemetery ever since and our extended family all love to pay him a visit whenever we are passing this beautiful part of the world.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/country-life-a-bit-of-route-66-on-state-highway-8/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Stanley Waipouri was beaten to death in a probable homophobic attack at his Rangitīkei Street flat on 23 December 2006. SUPPLIED
Warning: This story contains details some readers may find upsetting.
A man who has spent almost two decades in prison for a gruesome murder that was likely a homophobic attack is struggling with a poor attitude behind bars.
Ashley Arnopp, along with Andre Gilling, beat Stanley Waipouri to death in his Palmerston North flat in December 2006.
Arnopp was 19 at the time and Gilling 17.
Arnopp was released from prison in June 2023, but was back behind bars six months later.
“His relationship with Corrections fell apart and he used drugs,” said a Parole Board progress report, released to RNZ.
Arnopp last appeared before the board in November, but he did not apply for release.
He was on the waiting list for a prison programme – exact details of this were withheld from the report – and his prison security classification was low.
However, the board was told he was no longer in Whanganui Prison’s inner self-care unit and he continued to have “issues in his relationship with others”.
When board members discussed this with Arnopp he admitted to, in the past, being sensitive to criticism.
“He said that this had led to him getting upset, angry and yelling,” the report said.
“He knows what physical signs to look out for when this is building up. He said inner self care became a high-risk situation for him.”
The week before the parole hearing Arnopp had an altercation with another prisoner, which Arnopp said was a miscommunication involving banter.
“He said that the banter related to comments made about the other prisoner’s eating habits, which may have upset him.
“The other prisoner claims to have been intimidated…
“[Arnopp] accepted that his attitude has been poor lately, and that is something he wants to work on.”
Arnopp had a history of poor behaviour in prison. In 2011, he was convicted of assaulting a fellow inmate.
The board also discussed Waipouri’s murder.
“There do seem to be still elements of that offending that nobody seems to understand,” the board report said.
“This may be something that Mr Arnopp still needs to work on with a psychologist.”
Despite being told psychological work with Arnopp was considered finished, the board thought more would be useful, especially given he was considered high risk of reoffending.
After the November hearing it was likely Arnopp would apply to transfer prisons so he could be close to the property he would be released to if granted parole. A transfer would allow him to have guided releases in the meantime.
Arnopp would next meet with the Parole Board in November.
Gilling was released on parole in 2024 and last year was making good progress, according to a report from a progress hearing with the board.
He was working, where he was well regarded, was taking driving lessons, and was enjoying outdoor activities such as tramping.
But, he had faced challenges. In January last year he drank alcohol, in breach of his release conditions.
Gilling told the board it was his first drink in 17 years, but he was again committed to stay away from alcohol.
On 23 December 2006, Gilling and Arnopp were found at the blood-spattered scene of Waipouri’s murder. They had drugs and alcohol in their systems.
Waipouri suffered head, neck and chest injuries, having been beaten for more than an hour in an attack likely motivated by homophobia.
The tip of his penis was missing, an ear was mutilated and there were bite marks on his nipples, although in court the question of cannibalism remained unresolved.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/stanley-waipouris-murderer-ashley-arnopp-remains-behind-bars-after-parole-hearing/
Source: Worksafe New Zealand
A gas explosion that burned a forklift driver offers a stark lesson for businesses across all industries, WorkSafe New Zealand says, following a court decision in the case.
The forklift caught fire in March 2024, igniting LPG that was being released from condemned cylinders at Tank Test in Papatoetoe. Several 9kg gas bottles exploded, fuelling a significant fire. The driver was hospitalised with burns and spent nine weeks off work.
In sentencing Tank Test, Judge Gus Andrée Wiltens described the hazard as “clear and obvious”. He noted the company could have eliminated the risk at no cost by ensuring forklift and degassing operations never happened at the same time.
“This case isn’t just about flammable gases. It’s about a pattern we see across industries,” says WorkSafe principal inspector, David Worsfold.
“Businesses may identify risks but can fail to follow through with proper controls. They have procedures but don’t ensure they’re working in practice.”
Every business, regardless of industry, can learn from what went wrong at Tank Test:
“The lesson here transcends any single industry,” says David Worsfold.
“Whether you’re working with flammable gases, operating machinery, managing heights, or dealing with any workplace hazard, the principle is the same: identify the risk, implement controls that actually work, and make sure people follow them.”
“This worker ended up in hospital because his employer didn’t take simple steps to eliminate an obvious risk. Every business leader should ask themselves: where are we making the same mistake?”
The case highlights a critical gap WorkSafe sees repeatedly: the space between knowing what should be done and actually doing it.
“The question every business needs to answer is ‘are our safety procedures actually keeping our workers safe?’ If you can’t honestly say yes, it’s time to close that gap.”
WorkSafe’s role is to influence businesses and workers to meet their responsibilities to keep people healthy and safe. Manufacturing is a priority sector for WorkSafe, as injury rates in manufacturing have remained stubbornly high over the past decade.
Try WorkSafe’s improvement toolkit for businesses, SafePlus
For more information you can contact our Media Team using our media request form. Alternatively:
Email: media@worksafe.govt.nz
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/preventable-explosion-highlights-risk-of-overlooking-simple-fixes/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Marty Supreme is a frenetic tale inspired by Marty Reisman, the charismatic American table tennis champion of the 1950s.
Charged by Timothée Chalamet’s electric lead performance – alongside a stellar supporting cast (including Gwyneth Paltrow), and director Josh Safdie’s signature, anxiety-inducing aesthetic – the film captures a young man’s all-or-nothing quest for greatness.
Marty Mauser is a morally ambiguous protagonist with a sociopathic, self-obsessed pursuit of glory. But Safdie invites the audience to champion his quest. In this, Marty emerges as a particularly compelling entry into Hollywood’s longstanding tradition of unlikable heroes.
Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme.
A24
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/marty-supreme-is-sociopathic-in-his-pursuit-of-glory-why-do-we-want-him-to-win/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Punt operator Tom Jones and dog Yoda. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Near where the muddy green of the Tuapeka meets the turquoise blue of the Clutha River there once stood a “bustling settlement”.
Back in the early days of Otago’s gold rush, Tuapeka Mouth – about 30 kilometres north-west of Balclutha – had houses on either side and at least two, maybe even three pubs, according to Tom Jones.
With no bridge, those looking to cross from one side of the river to the other had only one option – the Tuapeka Mouth Ferry.
“There used to be a lot of these crossings back in the day, gold mining days, early days of discovery.
“Between the sea and Roxburgh, there was 15 of them, so before bridges you’d float your way across,” Jones told Country Life.
“This is the last one in the southern hemisphere.”
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Jones has operated the ferry crossing for the past six years, taking people – and cars – from one side of the river to the other.
Though this is not the 1896 original, not much has changed in terms of how it functions, he explained.
“We’ve got two boats with wooden platform on the top.
“It harnesses the energy in the river in the same way that a yacht harnesses the wind in a sail, so you’ve got to turn on an angle to get any push forward or sideways as in the case of this.
“There’s a main cable upstream to stop it from being pushed downstream, and, as I say, it turns on an angle and the energy hits one side of the bow and pushes it, shimmies basically sideways.”
This is the southern hemisphere’s only still operational river ferry. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
The Tuapeka Mouth Ferry has been running for 130 years. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
The vessel requires conditions to be just right to operate though. Too much wind, the river being too high or too low means it can’t run.
When Country Life paid a visit the Clutha River was high and flowing fast – too fast to safely operate the punt – after a few days of rain.
New Zealand’s largest river in terms of volume, it normally operates with a flow of about 500 cubic metres per second but that day the flow had more than doubled.
Tom Jones has been operating the punt for six years. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Conditions have to be just right to cross – the river can’t be too high or too low, and the wind can’t be too strong. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
The ferry is still used by locals but has also increasingly become popular with tourists in the post-Covid era, capturing a unique part of New Zealand’s history.
“There’s very little else here in Tuapeka Mouth itself.
“It’s in the middle of nowhere, but it’s something really worth discovering,” Jones said.
He estimates he does about 60 to 70 crossings each week in optimum conditions.
As a “public utility”, the ferry ride is free and it operates from 10am until 2pm most days – except for Christmas Day, Good Friday and Anzac morning.
Learn more:
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/country-life-tuapeka-mouth-ferry-celebrates-130-years/
Source: Radio New Zealand
NZ Team Ngā Pou Hāpai (flag bearers) snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (L) and freeski athlete Ben Barclay (R). Supplied / New Zealand Olympic Committee
The Olympic Committee has named snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and freeski athlete Ben Barclay as New Zealand’s flagbearers at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The pair were formally announced as Ngā Pou Hāpai Tāne and Wahine (male and female flagbearers) during a special team gathering at New Zealand Lodge in the Italian town of Livigno.
Sadowski-Synnott said she felt “very honoured” to be selected.
“To share this with Beano (Ben) who I’ve spent a lot of my career with, not only on my snowboard but off it too, is special. He’s just an all-round great human being and I’m proud to be sharing this moment with him,” she said.
“I just hope to lead the NZ Team in a way that can make everyone proud, it means a lot to me,” she said.
Barclay echoed Sadowski-Synnott’s feelings of pride.
“It’s an honour to wear the kākahu (cloak) and be chosen as a flagbearer alongside such a good friend as Zoi. To lead the team into the opening ceremony is a privilege for both of us,” he said.
“When the kākahu was put on our shoulders it gave me a bit of a shiver, it’s an honour that not many people get to experience and to carry that forward throughout this Olympic experience will be incredible.”
The flagbearers were selected by the team’s chef de mission Marty Toomey, who considered past performances, leadership qualities, the ability to inspire teammates, and each athlete’s competition preparation and performance.
He said both athletes reflected the spirit the team wanted to take into the games.
“These two are not only incredible athletes, but incredible human beings … They work hard, they stay grounded and they lift the people around them.
“Ben represents resilience, commitment and genuine care for his teammates. He has earned deep respect across the team through his attitude, his professionalism and the way he supports others.
“Zoi has set new standards for New Zealand snow sports. Her consistency, her competitive courage and the way she carries herself make her a powerful example for every athlete here.”
Sadowski-Synnott, Olympian #1384 had a full set of Olympic medals, having represented the NZ Team at PyeongChang 2018 where she won bronze in Big Air and at Beijing 2022 where she won gold in Slopestyle and silver in Big Air.
Barclay, Olympian #1520, represented the NZ Team at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Freeski Slopestyle and Big Air, finishing tenth in Slopestyle, which stands as New Zealand’s best result in the event.
New Zealand is set to be represented by 17 athletes at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which run from 6-22 February.
The opening ceremony will be at 7.30am New Zealand time on Saturday.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/zoi-sadowski-synnott-and-ben-barclay-to-bear-nz-flag-at-2026-olympic-winter-games/
Source: Radio New Zealand
By Asif Shahzad, Reuters
Security personnel and locals gather at a blast site inside a mosque in Islamabad on February 6, 2026. GHULAM RASOOL / AFP
An attacker opened fire at the gates of a Shi’ite Muslim mosque in Islamabad on Friday (all times local) before setting off a suicide bomb and killing at least 31 people, in the deadliest attack of its kind in Pakistan’s capital in over a decade.
More than 170 others were wounded in the explosion, detonated after guards challenged the attacker as he made his way into the Khadija Tul Kubra Imambargah compound on the outskirts of the city, officials said.
Images from the site showed bloodied bodies lying on the carpeted mosque floor surrounded by shards of glass, debris and panicked worshippers. Dozens more wounded were lying in the gardens of the compound as people called for help.
The man blew “himself up in the last row of worshippers,” Defence Minister Khawaja Asif wrote on X.
He said the bomber had a history of travelling to Afghanistan and blamed neighbouring India for sponsoring the assault, without providing evidence.
There was no immediate response from New Delhi, which has dismissed Pakistan’s accusations of backing militants in the past.
The attack was the deadliest suicide bombing in Islamabad in more than a decade, according to conflict monitor ACLED, which said it “bears the hallmarks of the Islamic State”.
Shi’ites, who are in the minority in the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 241 million, have been targeted in sectarian violence in the past, including by Islamic State and the Sunni Islamist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Bombings are rare in the heavily guarded capital, although Pakistan has been hit by a rising wave of militancy in the past few years, particularly along the border with Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry condemned the attack. Kabul has repeatedly denied charges that it provides safe haven to militants carrying out attacks in Pakistan.
“A total of 31 people have lost their lives. The number of wounded brought to hospitals has risen to 169,” Islamabad’s Deputy Commissioner, Irfan Memon, said in a statement.
The capital was already on high alert on Friday for the visiting President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, with roads around the capital blocked by checkpoints and security forces posted across the city.
“We are giving every possible help to the families of those killed and those injured,” Pakistan’s parliamentary affairs minister Tariq Fazal said after visiting the wounded at Islamabad’s Polyclinic hospital.
Pakistan has also blamed India for assaults by militants in the restive Balochistan province over the weekend, accusations that have fanned smouldering tensions between the nuclear-powered neighbours who engaged in their worst conflict in decades in May.
New Delhi has denied any involvement in the violence in Balochistan where Pakistan’s military has battled a decades-long insurgency.
That region was brought to a standstill after separatist militants stormed government buildings, hospitals and markets in a coordinated attack, killing 58 civilians and security officials. The military said it killed 216 militants in targeted offensives across the province.
The military said earlier on Friday that another 24 militants linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan were killed in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The last major attack in Islamabad was a suicide bombing on 11 November that killed 12 people and wounded 27 others. Pakistan said it was carried out by an Afghan national. No group claimed responsibility for that attack.
– Reuters
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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/suicide-bomber-kills-31-in-shiite-mosque-in-pakistans-capital/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Northland leaders want local government to get more involved at Waitangi. RNZ/ Mark Papalii
Pita Tipene is no stranger at Waitangi. He served on the Waitangi National Trust Board for almost a decade, only stepping down when he hit the board’s maximum term limit.
Now as chairperson of the Northland Regional Council, he wants local government more involved at Waitangi.
“Knowing that the bicentennial of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi is now only 14 years away, I hope I’m still here then, so if you keep that in focus and you look at what Te Tiriti o Waitangi is all about, article 2 refers to kawanatanga, governance.
“Too often people look to Wellington, and by the way, the capital used to be just across the water here at Okiato. But too many people look to Wellington as kawanatanga and tend to forget that local government is just as involved in that article. Local government, in my case Northland Regional Council, has to step up and be honourable partners.”
Northland Regional Council chairperson Pita Tipene. RNZ / Peter de Graaf
Tipene said it did not really matter where the council was located, but he said the four Northland councils, Far North, Whangārei, Kaipara and Northland Regional, had been working together to ensure the solutions for Northland came out of Northland.
“So what we know is Northland is not one place where you can paint it with one brush. Over in the Kaipara, or north of Mangamuka, or in the Bay of Islands or Hokianga, we have our different ways and implications. So my message is we are very united and we are going to the government to say we have the solutions, bespoke solutions, that for instance protect and enhance our environment.”
Northland Regional Council included a committee called Te Ruarangi, which was a mixture of iwi voices and hapu voices, to give affect to Te Tiriti, he said.
“It is a very powerful forum and if you were to ever sit in there and experience the level of discussion and debate and insight into how Te Tiriti o Waitangi as envisaged in 1840 can be applied in 2026 and beyond, I’d invite anybody to come and listen to that.”
Far North District Council mayor Moko Tepania said last year was the first that Local Government New Zealand was officially represented at Waitangi.
“We at a local government level carry so many of those principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi around partnerships, local partnerships with iwi, hapū, marae, whānau on the ground. So it’s only right that we as a sector are represented here at the same time.”
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania. Peter de Graaf
Northland councils have always been co-hosts alongside mana whenua for Waitangi commemorations and it was great to have other councils participate, he said.
“We have obligations under so many different pieces of legislation, least of all in the Local Government Act to uphold the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and how we deal with Māori on the ground. We’re local government. We sit alongside iwi rūnanga, who are also a form of local government in this country as well. So it’s always beautiful to come home to see those who come to also respect and honour our nation’s founding document here in the birthplace of the nation, Waitangi.”
Tipene said in the lead up to the centennial in 1940, iwi and political leaders got together and asked what could be done to ensure that the centennial reflected the nationhood.
“The tangible symbols is the Whare Rūnanga, they built and opened it on the 6th of February 1940. Ngātokimatawhaorua the waka was launched at the same time.
“Tangible symbols, what’s our generation contribution? Will it be a new bridge that is two lane and symbolic of Te Tiriti o Waitangi instead of the one lane bridge that we currently have? That’s something for us to all think about.”
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Source: Radio New Zealand
The Australian stock exchange was down by two percent. 123RF
A financial advisor believes the New Zealand stock exchange will be less affected by the latest global market trends than Australia.
The Australian stock exchange was two percent down when it closed trading yesterday evening, with some of the worst hit industries being mining and tech companies.
It came after some fears globally about investment returns on artificial intelligence.
Radical Investment financial advisor Darcy Ungaro said New Zealand’s main exports were quite different to those across the ditch.
“Specifically, commodities like iron and coal and the financial and banking industry. Obviously, there’s more tech companies in the ASX then the NZX.”
Ungaro believed that Australia was likely more connected to the global economy through its products and financial markets.
“They are far more sensitive to changes like Donald Trump’s recent nomination for Fed Chair.”
He said the New Zealand stock exchange was fairly insulated at the moment.
Tech and business commentator Paul Spain said the New Zealand stock market will be less exposed to the global trends driving down stocks in Australia and the US, due to having fewer tech companies that are listed on the local stock exchange.
However, he said New Zealanders with investments in NZ companies listed overseas, such as Xero and Rocketlab, or those with investments in international tech stocks, will still feel the hit.
Spain said the global trends may trigger people to sell off or exit from certain KiwiSaver plans; however, he said conventional wisdom would advise to hang in for the long haul.
“Sometimes we see these stocks that will have a drop, people will be fearful and maybe exit a KiwiSaver scheme and may well get burned if those stocks then end up bouncing back,” he said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/nz-stock-less-affected-by-global-market-than-australia-advisor-says/
Source: Radio New Zealand
When novice sourdough bakers kneaded their way through pandemic lockdowns, crafters were doing something similar – knitting, crocheting, stitching, journalling and shaping clay, not for virality, but for sanity.
Retailers jumped onboard, tempting doom-scrolling thumbs with crafty kits that became a gateway into what the internet affectionately dubbed “grandma hobbies” or analogue hobbies.
Five years on, the revival has moved beyond the screen. Across Aotearoa, these slow, tactile pastimes are drawing people into studios, markets and lounge rooms – spaces where creativity doubles as friendships, mental wellbeing and even activism.
Unsplash / CPhotos, Daiga Ellaby, pure julia
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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/yarns-pottery-woodwork-and-happy-mail-the-rise-of-analogue-hobbies/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Untreated water was leaking onto the capital’s south coast beaches due to the Moa Point Treatment Plant flooding and being turned off from early this morning. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Wellington Water is working against the clock to get raw sewage out of its Moa Point Treatment Plant before it goes septic.
Early Wednesday morning the plant was flooded by raw sewage – causing it to shut down and be evacuated.
Some of that waste had been taken to landfill – while the rest of it was now being pumped out of the facility.
The water company’s board chair Nick Leggett said they’re working hard to get the material out of the plant prior to it becoming septic.
“That has been a focus from pretty much the moment that we knew there was something wrong.
“It was getting this place clean so it is a safe place to work and so it is not emitting obviously a stench.”
Sewage can be seen on Wellington’s South Coast after a leak from the Moa Point wastewater plant. Kate Taptiklis
That sewage was being pumped from the plant’s 1.8 kilometre long outfall pipe to reduce harm to beaches.
Wellington Water believed some issue with that pipe had caused the major failure of the plant.
Leggett said divers had been inspecting it but were yet to find any form of blockage.
On Friday it was reported Wellington Mayor Andrew Little would be raising the Moa Point treatment plant failure with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Monday.
The meeting was scheduled already but Little said it would be a topic of discussion.
Little said one of the questions in the days ahead would be about setting up an appropriate investigation or inquiry into what happened.
“We can’t let this happen again,” he said. “We can’t let such a critical plant for a modern city fail in the way that this has and cause the environmental degradation that it has.
“It’s important we get the facts and it’s important we understand what we need to do to prevent it from happening again.”
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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/removing-sewage-before-it-goes-septic-is-main-focus-of-wellington-water-company/
Source: Radio New Zealand
The Tank Test worker was hospitalised for nine weeks after several condemned, nine-kilogram gas bottles exploded and their forklift caught fire. SUPPLIED
An explosion that put a forklift driver in hospital for nine weeks could have been avoided with basic safety controls, WorkSafe said.
The worker was seriously burned when several condemned, nine kilogram gas bottles exploded and their forklift caught fire in March, 2024 at Tank Test in Papatoetoe, Auckland.
The company was fined more than $300,000, including reparations of $5,000, in a reserved decision of the Manukau District Court.
In sentencing Tank Test, Judge Gus Andrée Wiltens described the hazard as “clear and obvious”. He noted the company could have eliminated the risk at no cost by ensuring forklift and degassing operations never happened at the same time.
WorkSafe principal inspector, David Worsfold said the case highlighted a significant gap between knowing what should be done and actually doing it.
“This worker ended up in hospital because his employer didn’t take simple steps to eliminate an obvious risk,” he said.
Worsfold added that every business, regardless of industry, could learn from what went wrong at Tank Test and that procedures that weren’t monitored and enforced were just paper.
“This case isn’t just about flammable gases. It’s about a pattern we see across industries,” he said.
“Businesses may identify risks but can fail to follow through with proper controls. They have procedures but don’t ensure they’re working in practice.”
WorkSafe said that manufacturing was a priority sector for the regulator, as injury rates in manufacturing had remained stubbornly high over the past decade.
Tank Test has been approached for comment.
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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/07/worksafe-says-explosion-that-seriously-burnt-a-forklift-driver-was-avoidable/