Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith said the settlement included an agreed historical account and redress for historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.RNZ / Mark Papalii
Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana and the Crown have signed a Deed of Settlement for historical claims dating back to 1866.
Representatives from the Crown, including Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith and the various hapū of the rohe gathered at Tuai to commemorate the settlement process finishing after six years of negotiation.
In a statement, Goldsmith said the settlement included an agreed historical account and redress for historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi which caused significant harm to generations of Ngāti Ruapani.
The settlement package includes:
$24 million in financial redress;
An undivided half share of Patunamu Forestry Ltd;
Four commercial redress and two cultural redress properties; and
Approximately 12,000 hectares of land added into Te Urewera.
Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana chair Kara Puketapu-Dentice said Waikeremoana, like other parts of Te Uruwera, carried a complex and deeply painful history.
“The hapū of Waikaremoana and the wider Te Urewera experienced invasion, displacement, and the systematic loss of land and livelihood.”
The settlement also included an apology for the Crown’s breaches, including those inflicted during its campaigns against the tipuna of Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana and other Tūhoe hapū in Waikaremoana.
These included attacks on kāinga at Te Kōpani in 1866, the displacement and starvation of hapū, and the coerced acquisition of around 178,000 acres of land under threat of confiscation which left the hapū virtually landless by 1895.
Puketapu-Dentice said he welcomed the opportunity to formally acknowledge his people’s history and bring closure to a process which required them to repeatedly recount those experiences.
“It allows us to recognise the truth of what occurred, while creating space for future generations to focus on rebuilding and renewal.”
Around 3500 descendants of Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Hinekura, Whānau Pani, and Ngāi Tarapāroa hapū maintain their connections to Waikaremoana and the wider Te Urewera, remaining centred around Waimako and Te Kuha marae.
“This settlement provides a foundation for the hapū of Waikaremoana, alongside other Tūhoe hapū, to restore their presence and strengthen their communities,” Puketapu-Dentice said.
“We have much to rebuild over the generations ahead. This settlement enables us to focus on restoring our relationship with our whenua, supporting our whānau, and ensuring that Waikaremoana continues to sustain future generations.”
In a statement, Minister Goldsmith said the long-awaited agreement acknowledges the past and looks to the future.
“It is a privilege to sign the Deed and deliver the Crown apology to Ngāti Ruapani in their rohe,” he said.
“A key feature of the settlement is the return of Crown-owned land into Te Urewera, reflecting a central aspiration of Ngāti Ruapani to restore their connection with Te Urewera.
“While no settlement can fully remedy the injustices of the past, this agreement represents an important step forward. I hope it will support Ngāti Ruapani to achieve their cultural and economic aspirations for future generations to come,” Goldsmith said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Dave van Zwanenberg, left, and Craig Stevens.Supplied
The wives of two firefighters killed in a landslide during Cyclone Gabrielle have recounted the moment they learned their husbands had died.
Volunteer firefighters Dave van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens were buried while responding to slips on Muriwai’s Motutara Road on 13 February 2023.
Stevens was freed from the pile but later died in hospital, while van Zwanenberg was found dead after two days of searching.
A coronial inquest into their deaths is being held in Auckland.
Van Zwanenberg’s wife, Amy, said she first heard that her husband was trapped as she was preparing to evacuate their home at about 2.45am on 14 February, several hours after the slip fell.
“I had just started to pack the car to leave when members from FENZ (Fire and Emergency NZ) arrived to tell me what had happened. They were fairly vague on details other than that Dave was missing. They were searching for him and conditions were obviously incredibly challenging,” she recounted.
“Under an hour later I was told that they had called off the search due to the severity of the conditions, high risk to search personnel and low chance of Dave’s survival.”
She said the following days were extremely difficult.
Dave van Zwanenberg with his children.Supplied / van Zwanenberg family
“We spent that night in an odd sort of horrific limbo without much hope but the distressing thought of Dave, whether alive or dead, alone in a pile of mud and rubble still waiting to be found,” she said.
“You can imagine how difficult and heart-wrenching that was to explain to our six-year-old son.”
Van Zwanenberg’s body was recovered on 15 February, two days after the slip.
“I was told at about 10.45am on the 15th of February that a body dressed in FENZ uniform had been located and later that day this was officially confirmed as Dave,” van Zwanenberg said.
“I was told I was not allowed to see or touch him, which was very hard to hear, but I was granted the privilege to go to the site and say goodbye from the outside of the undertaker vehicle. On its departure, men and women who’d been involved lined the exit in a guard of honour, an incredibly touching salute.”
Amy van Zwanenberg said she was proud of her husband’s work as a volunteer firefighter, which he did alongside working as a vet.
Amy and Dave van Zwanenberg.Supplied / van Zwanenberg family
“While adjusting to life without Dave has been very painful and my two young children are now growing up without their dedicated father, a life-long loss, they can be proud of who he was and the respect he’s been given even in death,” she said.
Steven’s wife, Lucy, echoed that sentiment.
“When Craig left [that day] both his mum Marianne and I talked about how proud we were of him being out there in the cyclone helping the community,” she said.
“I never saw him conscious again.”
Stevens died in hospital on 16 February, three days after the slip, surrounded by his family.
Craig Stevens is survived by his wife Lucy and his two children Kauri and Tai.Supplied via NZ Herald
“Finding out Craig wasn’t going to make it and then having to tell the boys they were going to lose their dad was the hardest and most distressing moment of my life,” Lucy Stevens said.
She described Stevens as a perfect husband and father.
“My six-year-old said the other day, ‘I at least needed one dad, and that one was perfect.’ The deep loss of their perfect dad and my loving husband and partner in life will remain with us forever.”
Stevens’ mother, Marianne, was visiting Muriwai from the United Kingdom when Cyclone Gabrielle hit.
Lucy Stevens read a statement written by Marianne to court.
“As a mother every fibre in your being wants to protect your child, and I was unable to do that,” she said.
Coroner Erin Woolley was visibly emotional as she thanked the women for giving evidence.
“I’m always grateful when family members have the courage to give evidence. I find it moving just listening to you so I admire you for having the ability to do that and thank you very much for doing so,” Woolley said.
The Cyclone Gabrielle inquest will move into its next phase in mid-March, with a focus on the events in Hawke’s Bay.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
On 25 February 2026, Biosecurity New Zealand (MPI) announced the discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) in a surveillance trap in Papatoetoe.
In response, Biosecurity New Zealand has launched a biosecurity operation and is ramping up trapping and inspections in Papatoetoe. As a precautionary measure, legal restrictions on the movement of fruit and vegetables out of the area where the fruit fly has been found (a Controlled Area Notice or CAN) will be put in place.
It is important to know that the capture of a single male does not mean we have an outbreak. It does mean that the community needs to keep an eye out and report any sightings.
Biosecurity New Zealand has successfully eradicated 15 incursions of different fruit fly in Auckland and Northland – including a recent response in Mt Roskill to eradicate a Queensland fruit fly (unrelated to this find).
The fruit fly poses no human health risk, but there would be an economic cost to the horticulture industry if it were allowed to establish here.
Visit Biosecurity New Zealand’s website for the most up to date information on this response.
Changes to your kerbside collections
The affected area in Papatoetoe is divided into two zones, A and B, which have different restrictions. To check if you are in the controlled area and which zone applies to you visit Biosecurity New Zealand’s website.
These restrictions mean some changes to kerbside (particularly food scraps) collections in the area.
The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation has a track record of two decades of deer management with volunteers within a zone known as the Wapiti Area.Supplied
A community conservation effort is hoping to fund a new processing facility for wild deer in the deep south.
Deer numbers have been exploding in Fiordland National Park following the decline of viable commercial and taxpayer-funded helicopter operations over many decades.
The deer have been ravaging the bush and the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation hopes its planned abattoir in Te Anau will save precious bush and provide an outlet for culled deer.
General manager Roy Sloan said hunting is costly and this initiative could support it by selling meat to the market.
The Fiordland Project estimates that venison sales will help fund deer control operations in the National Park at a greater scale than is currently possible.
A helicopter operation collecting wild deer in Fiordland National Park.SUPPLIED / Mark Hollows
“It’s a charitable trust; we’re getting donations from various building companies around the country” Sloan said.
“Our goal is to raise $3 million to build this plant.”
The group of hunters and conservationists is confident funding can be secured.
Sloan is thrilled with the level of support shown for the project so far, with $2 million raised.
A number of tradies and professionals, including electricians and architects, have pledged their time to the project.
Plans of the building, seen by RNZ, show areas for skinning and boning, packaging and processing, and a chiller.
“We know that it’s costly to do deer recovery. We we know that the government can’t afford it, and we know that DOC can’t afford it,” Sloan said.
And while he admits it’s a gamble, he said the risk of a community model might just pay off.
A helicopter hunts deer above the snowline.SUPPLIED / Mark Hollows
“‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ That in five years we fall over. ‘But what’s the best that can happen?’ We could be still going and solve these problems.”
The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation also maintains a number of back-country huts in the area, including Fiordland National Park’s oldest hut.
How did wapiti become pests?
wapiti are similar to red deer, but more pale and much larger and heavier
The first wapiti were introduced into New Zealand in 1873, primarily for hunting
By the 20th century, wild deer had spread throughout the forests, feeding on young trees, shrubs, ferns and ground cover plants
From the 1920s, the government employed cullers to control deer populations
In 1966 the first live deer were captured from the wild by helicopter
By the 21st century, populations of wapiti and red deer have created major ecological problems
Deer remain a pest species, significantly impacting native ecosystems
The owner of a business operating out of Lyall Bay says the partial lifting of the rāhui on Wellington’s South Coast has come as a “positive shock”.
The rāhui was put in place on the stretch of southern coast from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay after the Moa Point wastewater plant failed, leaving up to 70 million litres of raw sewage flowing into the sea each day at the beginning of the month.
Lyall Bay beach in Wellington on Friday.RNZ/Bill Hickman
‘Suddenly it’s all good’
Owner operator of Wellington Sauna Project mobile saunas, Johan Balzer, said the “sudden” lifting of the rāhui caught him off guard.
“All of the information that we were being fed, it was looking like it was going to be months and months. So, in my mind, I was thinking the worst,” Balzer said.
“Suddenly, it’s all good, which is great and it’s fantastic – and I can’t wait to get back there myself – but I have a feeling that there’s going to be a lot of people who [might] wait a while, a few weeks, to see what it really is like,” Balzer said.
Balzer said he had previously based his sauna in Lyall Bay or Evans Bay ahead of the shutdown.
His customers typically took a plunge in the ocean to cool down and cleanse after a sauna session at the beach.
Balzer said there was an immediate 50 percent reduction in bookings in the week following the failure, despite the fact he could still operate from Evans Bay.
“Wellingtonians are a bit divided. I was looking at all the data, checking out LAWA and NEWA and they were saying that Evans Bay was good but it would still have people that – despite that information – just didn’t want to go in the ocean. But at the same time, you’ve got a lot of loyal daily swimmers out at Hataitai and they didn’t seem to be concerned,” Balzer said.
Wellington mayor Andrew Little swims at Lyall Bay after announcing the lifting of a swimming ban.RNZ / Mark Papalii
“We have to be realistic and practical about what we’re asking people to do. Conditions can change rapidly. There are areas where the risk remains higher, such as near the short outfall pipe at Tarakena Bay,” he said.
“A risk remains, but monitoring results so far show that it is low and it is now up to people to decide how they respond to the current information,” Little said.
Owner of Dive Wellington, Dave Drane, said he was leaving it up to diving students to decide whether they wished to swim, but his staff were happy to dive on Friday.
“[Tertiary students] will be diving across the road in Taputeranga Marine Reserve today. I’ve left it up to them, it’s their personal choice whether they want to get in the water or not. But they’re all keen to get in and see the reserve again,” Drane said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2026 – XTransfer, the World’s Leading B2B Cross-Border Trade Payment Platform, is pleased to announce that it has received conditional approval from Bank Negara Malaysia(BNM) for key payment licences, including issuing electronic money, as well as a Money Services Business Licence (Class A) covering remittance and currency exchange.
XTransfer receives Malaysia Central Bank’s conditional approval for key payment licences.
Upon completing the pre-issuance conditions and being permitted to launch, XTransfer plans to introduce digital payment services in Malaysia designed to support businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in international trade. These services are intended to include streamlined onboarding, convenient funding options, efficient foreign exchange, and secure remittance and settlement experiences, with a focus on compliance, security, and operational reliability, helping Malaysian SMEs reduce friction in legitimate trade as they scale into regional and emerging-market corridors.
“Receiving conditional approval from Bank Negara Malaysia is an important milestone for XTransfer in the ASEAN region,” said Bill Deng, Founder and CEO of XTransfer. “We appreciate BNM’s guidance and oversight. We look forward to bringing Malaysian businesses compliant and efficient payment solutions that help trade move faster and more predictably, especially as intra-Asia and broader South–South trade routes continue to expand.
Malaysia is also central to XTransfer’s regional strategy, with a plan to establish Malaysia as its regional operational hub, serving as a strategic control centre within Southeast Asia, coordinating compliance, risk management, customer support, and global operations to ensure alignment with both local and Group-wide standards. “Malaysia gives us the talent, governance environment, and regional proximity to scaleacross the region,” Bill added.
Founded in 2017, XTransfer is dedicated to using technology to bridge large financial institutions and SMEs worldwide, providing secure, compliant, fast, convenient and low-cost cross-border trade payment and fund collection solutions. With more than 800,000 enterprise clients, XTransfer has become a global industry leader and continues to expand internationally to support trading companies worldwide.
The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation has a track record of two decades of deer management with volunteers within a zone known as the Wapiti Area.Supplied
A community conservation effort is hoping to fund a new processing facility for wild deer in the deep south.
Deer numbers have been exploding in Fiordland National Park following the decline of viable commercial and taxpayer-funded helicopter operations over many decades.
The deer have been ravaging the bush and the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation hopes its planned abattoir in Te Anau will save precious bush and provide an outlet for culled deer.
General manager Roy Sloan said hunting is costly and this initiative could support it by selling meat to the market.
The Fiordland Project estimates that venison sales will help fund deer control operations in the National Park at a greater scale than is currently possible.
A helicopter operation collecting wild deer in Fiordland National Park.SUPPLIED / Mark Hollows
“It’s a charitable trust; we’re getting donations from various building companies around the country” Sloan said.
“Our goal is to raise $3 million to build this plant.”
The group of hunters and conservationists is confident funding can be secured.
Sloan is thrilled with the level of support shown for the project so far, with $2 million raised.
A number of tradies and professionals, including electricians and architects, have pledged their time to the project.
Plans of the building, seen by RNZ, show areas for skinning and boning, packaging and processing, and a chiller.
“We know that it’s costly to do deer recovery. We we know that the government can’t afford it, and we know that DOC can’t afford it,” Sloan said.
And while he admits it’s a gamble, he said the risk of a community model might just pay off.
A helicopter hunts deer above the snowline.SUPPLIED / Mark Hollows
“‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ That in five years we fall over. ‘But what’s the best that can happen?’ We could be still going and solve these problems.”
The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation also maintains a number of back-country huts in the area, including Fiordland National Park’s oldest hut.
How did wapiti become pests?
wapiti are similar to red deer, but more pale and much larger and heavier
The first wapiti were introduced into New Zealand in 1873, primarily for hunting
By the 20th century, wild deer had spread throughout the forests, feeding on young trees, shrubs, ferns and ground cover plants
From the 1920s, the government employed cullers to control deer populations
In 1966 the first live deer were captured from the wild by helicopter
By the 21st century, populations of wapiti and red deer have created major ecological problems
Deer remain a pest species, significantly impacting native ecosystems
The owner of a business operating out of Lyall Bay says the partial lifting of the rāhui on Wellington’s South Coast has come as a “positive shock”.
The rāhui was put in place on the stretch of southern coast from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay after the Moa Point wastewater plant failed, leaving up to 70 million litres of raw sewage flowing into the sea each day at the beginning of the month.
Lyall Bay beach in Wellington on Friday.RNZ/Bill Hickman
‘Suddenly it’s all good’
Owner operator of Wellington Sauna Project mobile saunas, Johan Balzer, said the “sudden” lifting of the rāhui caught him off guard.
“All of the information that we were being fed, it was looking like it was going to be months and months. So, in my mind, I was thinking the worst,” Balzer said.
“Suddenly, it’s all good, which is great and it’s fantastic – and I can’t wait to get back there myself – but I have a feeling that there’s going to be a lot of people who [might] wait a while, a few weeks, to see what it really is like,” Balzer said.
Balzer said he had previously based his sauna in Lyall Bay or Evans Bay ahead of the shutdown.
His customers typically took a plunge in the ocean to cool down and cleanse after a sauna session at the beach.
Balzer said there was an immediate 50 percent reduction in bookings in the week following the failure, despite the fact he could still operate from Evans Bay.
“Wellingtonians are a bit divided. I was looking at all the data, checking out LAWA and NEWA and they were saying that Evans Bay was good but it would still have people that – despite that information – just didn’t want to go in the ocean. But at the same time, you’ve got a lot of loyal daily swimmers out at Hataitai and they didn’t seem to be concerned,” Balzer said.
Wellington mayor Andrew Little swims at Lyall Bay after announcing the lifting of a swimming ban.RNZ / Mark Papalii
“We have to be realistic and practical about what we’re asking people to do. Conditions can change rapidly. There are areas where the risk remains higher, such as near the short outfall pipe at Tarakena Bay,” he said.
“A risk remains, but monitoring results so far show that it is low and it is now up to people to decide how they respond to the current information,” Little said.
Owner of Dive Wellington, Dave Drane, said he was leaving it up to diving students to decide whether they wished to swim, but his staff were happy to dive on Friday.
“[Tertiary students] will be diving across the road in Taputeranga Marine Reserve today. I’ve left it up to them, it’s their personal choice whether they want to get in the water or not. But they’re all keen to get in and see the reserve again,” Drane said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Samson Aruwa on the seat dedicated to Sophia Crestani in Dunedin.RNZ / Tess Brunton
A man who carried Sophia Crestani away from a deadly stairwell pile-up and helped free at least 30 others at a Dunedin student party says the night is burned in his memory.
Samson Aruwa carried the 19-year-old University of Otago student away from the five-to-six people-deep pile at the overcrowded party in October 2019 after managing to free himself while wearing a moon boot.
CPR was carried out on Crestani outside but she could not be revived.
Aruwa said it was an honour to receive the award but also a sense of melancholy.
Sophia Crestani.Facebook
“There was like a lot of tragedy surrounding that night. I don’t think I go a day without thinking about it at least once. It’s kind of burned in my memory. It’s like my Roman Empire,” he said.
“It wasn’t just me there that night. There were a lot of people there that had, like, a significant hand in helping out.
“Without the other people helping me, we wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere near as many people out as we did.”
Aruwa became a nurse after the deadly party and although his career choice was more about following in the footsteps of his mother, the events of that night gave him more confidence.
“I know how I’ll act in an emergency and I know that I’ll be trying to find the best solution,” he said.
Chambers said the party resulted in tragedy but the situation could have been much worse if it was not for Aruwa’s selflessness.
Richard Chambers with Samson Aruwa.RNZ / Tess Brunton
What Aruwa did on that night was remarkable, showing exceptional courage and acting selflessly in the face of a life threatening crowd crush, he said.
“It was a chaotic evening and to do what you did for those that were tangled in what was an absolute mess that night was just absolutely remarkable.”
Maggot Fest at the Manor was heaving with hundreds of people and there was only one exit after tenants sealed up the other doors.
The stairs were jam-packed and the door was a bottleneck when people started to fall.
As some remained behind locked doors, Aruwa was trying to pull people out of the pile-up.
The seat dedicated to Sophia Crestani.RNZ / Tess Brunton
Crestani’s mother, Elspeth McMillan, said she believed there would have been more dead and injured party-goers without Aruwa’s act of courage.
She criticised the tenants – whose name are suppressed – saying it was not safe or responsible for some tenants to at times remain in secured rooms and let their party grow on its own, saying more active oversight might have led to the party being controlled or shut down before it became critical.
Sophia Crestani’s parents Bede Crestani and Elspeth McMillan.Tess Brunton/RNZ
Crestani’s father, Bede Crestani, said Aruwa showed dignity and courage despite chaos from all sides as more people tried to enter the party while people were being crushed.
“His courage was bigger than his stature. We have to contrast that on the night to the tenants. They were absent. They were on the stairs. They did nothing. They were derelict,” he said.
“They were weak people.”
McKenzie said there was evidence that some of those in closed off rooms knew people were asking to be let in and being in their rooms did not absolve them of responsibility.
Bede Crestani also commended Aruwa’s courage at the inquest.
“Didn’t matter what anybody said, what anybody thought. He was saying it. He stopped the court. It just shows the courage. It was a breath of fresh air and it put truth to lies,” he said.
“This is a courageous man in many ways.”
He thanked Aruwa for the care he showed his daughter, saying he was true to his values despite being under immense pressure.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
An ABC investigation has unearthed horrifying vision of gay and bisexual teenagers being beaten unconscious in Sydney. The teenage boy perpetrators are reported to be supporters of Islamic State (IS).
The ABC journalists consulted and interviewed me for the piece, including showing me all the videos they’d obtained. The vision was sickening – but not surprising.
[embedded content]
My research examines how people and communities become targets when otherwise distinct extremist ideologies converge around a perceived common enemy.
We are seeing ideological convergences across Islamic extremist, far-right and other grievance-based movements that frame both Jewish Australians and LGBTQIA+ people as threats. Antisemitism will be under the microscope during the royal commission, while Victoria is holding a parliamentary inquiry into attacks against LGBTQIA+ people.
With that in mind, the attacks in Sydney are not merely an abhorrent anomaly. Incidents like these are foreshadowing future, more severe violence, unless something is done to curb it.
Reviving thousands of years of hate
Violent, homophobic attacks are unfortunately nothing new, including in Australia.
In the 1980s and ‘90s, dozens of gay men were murdered in Sydney by youth gangs, who would lure the men to secluded places.
Some were mistakenly labelled as suicides. As a result, a lot of perpetrators were never held accountable.
This, combined with the stigma attached to being LGBTQIA+ in Australia, and policing strategies that members of these communities felt unfairly targeted them, led many to distrust law enforcement.
There’s good reason for this. History is littered with examples of discriminatory policing, including the 1994 raid on a Melbourne gay nightclub, where patrons were subject to invasive strip searches, and the violence that ended the first ever Sydney Mardi Gras in 1978.
This bred reluctance to report hate crimes to police. It’s likely there were many more instances of violence than we know about.
Since then, there’s been a seismic shift in attitudes toward LGBTQIA+ people, both in policing and in the community. But now this history is butting up against today’s violent forces, putting LGBTQIA+ communities under threat again.
In the current political climate, the recent attacks in Sydney will be seen by some as another instance of Muslim communities being targeted based on a very small minority of adherents, coming as it does after the Bondi terror attack and headlines around ISIS brides. Australian Muslims would likely be angry and disgusted by the actions of these youths.
But importantly, these developments are part of a broader story about Islamic State’s reawakening the world over, especially in Australia: a country that’s contributed a lot of fighters and sympathisers to the IS cause.
Australia was one of the Western countries that produced the most young men per capita to fight for IS in the 2010s. The men were very active in both recruitment of other fighters and in some of the worst atrocities, such as the young son of an Australian jihadist being photographed holding a severed head.
[embedded content]
The same jihadist, Khaled Sharrouf, also kept Yazidi women as sex slaves.
Some men were stopped from leaving the country and were instead violent in Australia. Teenager Abdul Numan Haider was fatally shot in 2014 after threatening counterterrorism police with a knife.
Late last year, the Bondi terror attack brought this history back to the fore. The alleged attackers had an IS flag on their car.
An IS resurgence puts LGBTQIA+ Australians at particular risk. IS believes homosexuality is punishable by death, and has a track record of throwing gay men from roofs.
A harbinger of what’s to come
Islamic State has long found its recruitment power in young, disenfranchised men and boys attracted to ideas of dominance and strength. The videos of the Sydney attacks show this in practice.
The boys, acting in the name of IS, continue to kick their victim once he’s unconscious, shouting slurs and threats.
Their willingness to use almost deadly force for a prolonged period of time shows a desensitisation to violence. Combined with their words during the attacks and their clothing, we can also see a high level of religious motivation.
The perpetrators, five of whom have been convicted for the bashings, are reported to be adherents to so-called “hate preachers”. These preachers are anti-Jewish, anti-gay and promote violent jihad.
Under this influence, and the belief that LGBTQIA+ people are subhuman, the attackers think they can operate with moral impunity, and to a degree, criminal impunity.
But it’s not just Islamic extremism driving rampant homophobia. Extreme-right groups such as the National Socialist Network have targeted pride events and drag story time with threats and intimidation.
Based on research and the extremism I study online, authorities should be seriously concerned about these sorts of hate crimes towards LGBTQIA+ people. Against the backdrop of tight law enforcement, resourcing, and the potential breakdown of protective procedures and policies related to the Bondi attack, these incidents require urgent attention.
Crucially, those communities targeted must be listened to, for they are intimately aware of the threats they face and potential security solutions.
Having hard conversations
We need to reach men and boys susceptible to being radicalised by IS before we see more mass violence. Casting a light on the issue is an important first step.
Then we need to stop hate preachers, cutting off the violence at the source. Proposed new laws in New South Wales will help, but the severity of the issue calls for a broader conversation.
Hate preachers operate in plain sight, often carefully calibrating statements to avoid hate speech legislation in public, while inciting hate privately. They target and groom young men, susceptible to narratives offering empowerment, perceived morality, strength and belonging through action.
Many more actors spreading hate operate in the shadows, often online and anonymously. The current political climate makes this a tricky discussion, especially as these issues are too often used for political advantage in bad faith, but we need to consider how to unmask these people and stop them spreading hate.
Little can be achieved while hate speech issues are weaponised for partisan advantage or reduced to culture war theatre. What is unfolding is not a symbolic debate but a security issue with immense human consequences.
The patterns are visible. The ideological convergence is documented. The grooming pathways are known.
If we continue to treat these incidents as isolated flare-ups rather than early warning signals, we will miss the opportunity to intervene before the violence escalates. That means bipartisan leadership, sustained resourcing for prevention and intelligence, and the courage to confront both online radicalisation and offline enablers without fear or favour.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
The Morgan and YouGov federal polls have the Coalition gaining from One Nation since Angus Taylor replaced Sussan Ley as Liberal leader. Unlike the DemosAU and Fox & Hedgehog polls that I reported Tuesday, these two polls have Labor clearly ahead of the Coalition and One Nation after preferences.
Whereas the combined primary vote for One Nation and the Coalition was 49% in both DemosAU and Fox & Hedgehog, it was just 44.5% in Morgan and 46% in YouGov.
Essential is the other new poll, and that gave the Coalition its first lead over Labor after preferences in a poll since the May 2025 election. Essential’s respondent preferences favour the Coalition more than other polls that use respondent preferences.
After the five federal polls this week, analyst Kevin Bonham’s two-party aggregates that use 2025 election preference flows have Labor leading the Coalition by 53.3–46.7 and One Nation by 53.4–46.6.
YouGov poll
A national YouGov poll for Sky News, conducted February 17–24 from a sample of 1,500, gave Labor 29% of the primary vote (down one since the February 3–10 YouGov poll that was taken before the Liberal leadership spill), One Nation 24% (down four), the Coalition 22% (up three), the Greens 13% (up one), independents 6% (up one) and others 6% (steady).
By respondent preferences, Labor led One Nation by 56–44, a one-point gain for Labor. They led the Coalition by 53–47, a one-point gain for the Coalition.
Anthony Albanese’s net approval was up four points to -14, with 54% dissatisfied and 40% satisfied with his leadership. Taylor’s initial net approval was -5 (38% dissatisfied, 33% satisfied), a large improvement on Ley’s -40 net approval. Albanese led Taylor as better PM by 45–34 (47–25 against Ley).
Cost of living was rated the most important issue by 41%, followed by housing affordability and immigration each on 10%. Respondents were asked which of the Coalition, One Nation, Labor or the Greens they preferred to handle various issues.
Combining Labor/Greens against Coalition/One Nation, right-wing parties led on cost of living by 35–34, on housing by 33–32 and on immigration by 48–28. However, these leads are far narrower than in the recent DemosAU poll, where the right led by double digit margins on all these issues.
By 60–40, respondents in this poll did not want immigration restricted from terror-controlled regions. This contrasts with the Fox & Hedgehog poll, where by 59–17, respondents supported an immigration ban from “high risk” areas.
Essential poll
A national Essential poll, conducted February 18–22 from a sample of 1,002, gave Labor 30% of the primary vote (down one since the late January Essential poll), the Coalition 26% (up one), One Nation 22% (steady), the Greens 11% (up two), all Others 7% (steady) and undecided 4% (down two).
By respondent preferences, the Coalition had its first two-party lead in any poll since the 2025 election (by 48–47). Essential did not report a two-party estimate for its January poll, which was about the same on primary votes for Labor.
By respondent preferences, the Coalition had its first two-party lead in any poll since the 2025 election.Bianca De Marchi/AAP
Essential’s respondent preferences have been weaker for Labor than applying the 2025 election preference flows to the primaries, which would give Labor above a 51–49 lead. In contrast, Morgan has generally had better respondent flows to Labor than the 2025 election method.
Albanese’s net approval was up six points since January to -6, with 48% disapproving and 42% approving. By 53–12, respondents thought Australia was becoming more divided over more united, with 35% staying about the same. By 36–32, respondents thought social cohesion in Australia was strong rather than weak.
Morgan poll
A national Morgan poll, conducted February 16–22 from a sample of 1,649, gave Labor 31% of the primary vote (down one since the February 13–16 Morgan poll taken after the Liberal spill), the Coalition 24% (up 0.5), One Nation 20.5% (down one), the Greens 12.5% (steady) and all Others 12% (up 1.5).
By respondent preferences, Labor led by 54.5–45.5, a 0.5-point gain for the Coalition. By 2025 election preference flows, Labor led by 54–46, a 0.5-point gain for the Coalition from my estimate of the previous poll).
Morgan shows gains for the Coalition from One Nation since Taylor replaced Ley. In the Morgan poll taken before the spill, One Nation led the Coalition by 25–20 on primary votes.
WA DemosAU poll: Labor way ahead
A Western Australian state DemosAU poll, conducted February 12–23 from a sample of 969, gave Labor 36% of the primary vote (down five since the November DemosAU poll), the Liberals 21% (down nine), the Nationals 4% (down two), One Nation 17% (not asked previously), the Greens 13% (steady) and all Others 9% (down one).
Labor led the Liberals by 57–43 after preferences, a one-point gain for Labor.
Labor Premier Roger Cook’s net positive rating was down two points to +6 (34% positive, 28% negative). Liberal leader Basil Zempilas’s net positive was unchanged at -3. Cook led Zempilas as preferred premier by 43–30 (47–34 previously).
WA Greens leader Brad Pettitt was at -14 net positive and WA One Nation leader Rod Caddies at -17.
Tasmanian EMRS state poll
A Tasmanian EMRS state poll was reported by Bonham. Conducted February 16–19 from a sample of 1,000, it gave the Liberals 29% of the vote (down eight since November), Labor 23% (down two), the Greens 15% (down two), independents 15% (down four), One Nation 14% (not previously asked) and others 4% (down one).
Tasmania uses a proportional system for its lower house elections, so a two-party estimate is not applicable. One Nation’s 14% is ten points below its federal support in this poll.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has again announced she is bowing out of the international stage.Photosport / Masanori Udagawa
The greatest of all time is hanging up her black jersey, again.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who came out of retirement for last year’s Rugby World Cup, has announced she is bowing out of the international stage.
She leaves an incomparable legacy behind.
Woodman-Wickliffe was a Rugby World Cup winner in 2017 and 2022, a Sevens World Cup champion in 2013 and 2018, an Olympic gold and silver medallist and Commonwealth Games gold and bronze medallist.
Whether in sevens or 15’s, Woodman-Wickliffe has lit up fields around the globe with her raw pace, power, and inexplicable eye for the try-line.
She walks away as the highest try scorer for the Black Ferns in both codes.
The Black Ferns confirmed the news on social media.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to represent my country, my iwi, my hapū and my whānau one last time on the World Cup stage, a moment I will cherish forever. As I step into this next chapter of my life, I feel both excited and a little nervous, but I’m ready.”
Woodman-Wickliffe was named World Rugby’s Sevens Player of the Year in 2015, Women’s Player of the Year (XVs) in 2017 and in 2020 was named as the top women’s sevens player of the past decade.
The Woodman family name carries with it a bit of weight on the rugby field.
Not only did Portia grow up with an All Black father Kawhena, her uncle Fred Woodman played in two tests in the infamous 1981 series against the Springboks.
Arguably, Woodman-Wickliffe’s high-water mark in the 15-a-side code was during the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup, in which she scored a tournament-record 13 tries.
Eight of them came in one match against Hong Kong.
A Fairlie farmer who ended up with a shattered leg after a farm accident has spearheaded a fundraiser to get his local town a new helipad.
It was a normal day on farm for Andrew Hurst, he’d just returned from a bull sale when he was driving a two-wheeler round his farm.
In a split second he was under a Hilux that he had not seen coming from the other direction.
He was airlifted to Christchurch where he spent weeks in hospital undergoing over 10 surgeries to put his leg back together.
Hurst credits the skill and speed of the rescue helicopter with saving his leg and after recovering he quickly went about fundraising $90,000 for a new helipad.
“I felt Fairlie needed something better than just a piece of grass to land on.”
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter is flying into Fairlie on Thursday to officially open the new helipad.
Hurst said it had been a real community effort, with the local Lions Club, companies the Fairlie Community Board, and the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust getting involved.
He admitted building the helipad was more complex than he first anticipated.
“Initially I thought I’d just be able to go down with a digger, scrape a bit of grass off and pour some concrete.”
“It turns out there’s a lot more involved in a helipad than that! But the helipad is as good as it could ever be, I’m stoked with what the community has achieved.”
Hurst said he would hate to think the rescue helicopter couldn’t help someone because it couldn’t land.
“This new helipad is on an IFR route, which means helicopters can fly here in low cloud or more adverse weather conditions.”
“We are a small, rural community, the rescue helicopter is the fastest way we can access critical care – the helipad will save lives,” he said.
Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust chief executive Christine Prince said the Fairlie community has shown an extraordinary level of commitment and heart throughout the helipad project.
“This helipad is a meaningful investment in the future health and safety of Fairlie which will benefit families for generations.”
She said the opening of the helipad is part of a major transformation of the region’s rescue helicopter service, known as MISSION 2026.
The Trust has purchased three state-of-the-art H145 rescue helicopters for the Canterbury West Coast region.
The first of these helicopters is now in service, with work underway to make the other two mission-ready.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2026 – Pulsar International, a leading global provider of satellite internet communications, managed hybrid networking, cybersecurity, and crew welfare solutions, has opened its APAC headquarters in Hong Kong to better serve the Asia market. With more than 30 years of experience, Pulsar maintains a well-established global presence, already operating 20 offices across North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.
Pulsar’s Network and Partners
This expansion into the Asia-Pacific market reflects Pulsar’s “Global Network, Local Offices” approach, delivering local expertise, faster response times, and dedication to solving regional network restrictions in Asia and Greater China. The new office will support maritime operators and commercial fleets across Hong Kong and Mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia, and India – key shipping hubs driving global trade throughout the APAC region.
Pulsar Asia delivers a true end-to-end maritime connectivity solution, managing everything from onboard equipment installation to high-speed satellite internet services through direct partnerships with leading satellite operators. As the only Tier 1 provider for all four major satellite networks, Pulsar can equip vessels with connectivity from Viasat/ Inmarsat, Iridium, Thuraya, and Globalstar, as well as Starlink, OneWeb, SES/Intelsat, and Space Norway.
Through its partnership with Inmarsat, Pulsar delivers NexusWave, a bonded multi-network architecture that streamlines hybrid connectivity, with automatic network failover and 100% high-speed global coverage. Powered by NexusWave, Pulsar enables real-time data exchange and voyage optimization to support maritime digitalization, decarbonization, and global green shipping goals.
Through a comprehensive suite of Pulsar’s managed IT and ship connectivity services, vessel operators gain full visibility, control and seamless management of onboard communications, enabling real-time network monitoring, optimized bandwidth management, and enhanced crew welfare.
With cyberattacks posing an increasing risk to vessel safety and maritime business operations, Pulsar embeds enterprise-grade cybersecurity across its entire network and all digital services to safeguard critical operational systems and crew networks.
Beyond the high seas, Pulsar Asia strengthens business continuity and disaster recovery communications for Hong Kong enterprises. With fully redundant satellite connectivity and hybrid failover networks, businesses can maintain mission-critical operations during network outages or cyber incidents. IoT connectivity and remote asset tracking, ensure safety, compliance, and operational reliability across ports, logistics hubs, and transport facilities.
“Entering the Asia Pacific market makes Pulsar truly global,” said Robert Sakker, President & CEO of Pulsar International. “With our Hong Kong office, we are delivering always-on connectivity to one of the world’s most dynamic maritime regions. Our customers across the APAC region can now benefit from local expertise backed by our global multi-orbit satellite network, ensuring resilient, secure, and high-performance communications at sea and onshore.”
Pulsar’s Hong Kong office is now open, with satellite connectivity experts available to assist with any enquiries, offering tailored guidance and solutions for your operational and technical maritime requirements.
Contact Alice Cheung | Sales Director | +852 5162 6116 | Alice.Cheung@pulsarbeyond.com | Contact on WhatsApp
For more information about Pulsar, please visit www.pulsarbeyond.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
A Fairlie farmer who ended up with a shattered leg after a farm accident has spearheaded a fundraiser to get his local town a new helipad.
It was a normal day on farm for Andrew Hurst, he’d just returned from a bull sale when he was driving a two-wheeler round his farm.
In a split second he was under a Hilux that he had not seen coming from the other direction.
He was airlifted to Christchurch where he spent weeks in hospital undergoing over 10 surgeries to put his leg back together.
Hurst credits the skill and speed of the rescue helicopter with saving his leg and after recovering he quickly went about fundraising $90,000 for a new helipad.
“I felt Fairlie needed something better than just a piece of grass to land on.”
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter is flying into Fairlie on Thursday to officially open the new helipad.
Hurst said it had been a real community effort, with the local Lions Club, companies the Fairlie Community Board, and the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust getting involved.
He admitted building the helipad was more complex than he first anticipated.
“Initially I thought I’d just be able to go down with a digger, scrape a bit of grass off and pour some concrete.”
“It turns out there’s a lot more involved in a helipad than that! But the helipad is as good as it could ever be, I’m stoked with what the community has achieved.”
Hurst said he would hate to think the rescue helicopter couldn’t help someone because it couldn’t land.
“This new helipad is on an IFR route, which means helicopters can fly here in low cloud or more adverse weather conditions.”
“We are a small, rural community, the rescue helicopter is the fastest way we can access critical care – the helipad will save lives,” he said.
Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust chief executive Christine Prince said the Fairlie community has shown an extraordinary level of commitment and heart throughout the helipad project.
“This helipad is a meaningful investment in the future health and safety of Fairlie which will benefit families for generations.”
She said the opening of the helipad is part of a major transformation of the region’s rescue helicopter service, known as MISSION 2026.
The Trust has purchased three state-of-the-art H145 rescue helicopters for the Canterbury West Coast region.
The first of these helicopters is now in service, with work underway to make the other two mission-ready.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has again announced she is bowing out of the international stage.Photosport / Masanori Udagawa
The greatest of all time is hanging up her black jersey, again.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who came out of retirement for last year’s Rugby World Cup, has announced she is bowing out of the international stage.
She leaves an incomparable legacy behind.
Woodman-Wickliffe was a Rugby World Cup winner in 2017 and 2022, a Sevens World Cup champion in 2013 and 2018, an Olympic gold and silver medallist and Commonwealth Games gold and bronze medallist.
Whether in sevens or 15’s, Woodman-Wickliffe has lit up fields around the globe with her raw pace, power, and inexplicable eye for the try-line.
She walks away as the highest try scorer for the Black Ferns in both codes.
The Black Ferns confirmed the news on social media.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to represent my country, my iwi, my hapū and my whānau one last time on the World Cup stage, a moment I will cherish forever. As I step into this next chapter of my life, I feel both excited and a little nervous, but I’m ready.”
Woodman-Wickliffe was named World Rugby’s Sevens Player of the Year in 2015, Women’s Player of the Year (XVs) in 2017 and in 2020 was named as the top women’s sevens player of the past decade.
The Woodman family name carries with it a bit of weight on the rugby field.
Not only did Portia grow up with an All Black father Kawhena, her uncle Fred Woodman played in two tests in the infamous 1981 series against the Springboks.
Arguably, Woodman-Wickliffe’s high-water mark in the 15-a-side code was during the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup, in which she scored a tournament-record 13 tries.
Eight of them came in one match against Hong Kong.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2026 – Generali Hong Kong has once again earned multiple accolades at the “10Life 5-Star Insurance Awards 2026”. Seven products achieved the highest 5-Star rating across annuity, savings, critical illness, and whole life protection categories. These awards reflect Generali Hong Kong’s strong performance in product excellence and customer service and reaffirm the team’s continued pursuit of excellence and innovation.
Generali Hong Kong Receives Multiple Accolades at the “10Life 5-Star Insurance Awards 2026”.
The 5-Star award-winning products are:
5-Star Critical Illness Insurance Award – Term Critical Illness(Coverage)Category
LionGuardian PlusOne
5-Star Critical Illness Insurance Award – Term Critical Illness(Value)Category
LionGuardian Beyond
5-Star Savings Insurance Award –Savings (Education)Category
LionAchiever Elite
5-Star Savings Insurance Award –Savings (Education & Legacy)Category
LionTycoon Beyond 2
5-StarQDAPAward –Stable Income Category
LionHarvest Prime Deferred Annuity
5-Star Whole Life Protection Insurance Award – Whole Life Protection Category
LionPatron
Organized by 10Life, the leading insurance comparison platform in Hong Kong, the “10Life 5-Star Insurance Award 2026” is one of the most representative awards in the industry. Their actuaries rate insurance products based on factors that matter the most to the consumers. 10Life compares over 1,500 insurance products from over 50 insurers in the market with the top-rated products under each category awarded a 5-Star rating.
Hashtag: #GeneraliHongKong
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
