Hundreds of people gathered at two separate protests on Saturday afternoon, prompting police cordons and some road closures.
Destiny Church-affiliated Freedom and Rights Coalition protesters gathered at Victoria Park in the late morning, and marched towards Fanshawe Street, where a police cordon had been set up.
A second protest took place in early afternoon, led by Toitū te Aroha, who calling for solidarity among diverse communities.
The first was led by Destiny Church’s Brian Tamaki, who delivered a speech and then asked the large crowd to follow him in a march.
Hundreds gathered at Victoria Park for the Destiny Church-affiliated rally.RNZ
In anticipation of the march, police had set up a cordon at the Fanshawe Street motorway on-ramp and off-ramp.
Superintendent Naila Hassan said more than a thousand marched towards the cordon.
“In Victoria Park, at its peak, police estimate 1200 people gathered and marched to our Fanshawe Street cordon, before dispersing.”
Police cordon during Destiny Church-affiliated protest.Blessen Tom/RNZ
Hassan said the police cordons were a “precautionary measure” for the safety of pedestrians and motorists.
“I’m immensely proud of all the police staff deployed on today’s operation for their professionalism in response to this event. Pleasingly, Aucklanders have been able to largely go about their weekend without incident.”
Protestors approach the police cordon at the Fanshawe Street motorway ramps.
The protesters marched to the entrance of the motorway, but retreated, after being met with dozens of police officers.
Tamaki addressed supporters of the Freedom and Rights Coalition at the cordon, and not long after, the group dispersed with many returning to Victoria Park.
The group was denied a permit to walk across the harbour bridge last month and police said no protest group from here on would be allowed to cross the harbour bridge for safety reasons and the pressure placed on the bridge’s infrastructure.
Protesters soon dispersed, after being met with dozens of police officers.
Superintendent Naila Hassan said a temporary stoppage of all southbound traffic on State Highway 1 was put in place from the Onewa Road off-ramp, but was lifted after a short period of time.
“We thank the public for their understanding, particularly those motorists who were briefly stopped on the northern motorway earlier today.”
About midday, a protest led by Toitū te Aroha saw hundreds of attendees march along Queen Street, escorted by police and temporarily blocking the road.
Hundreds marched along Queen Street as part of a protest led by Toitū te Aroha.Gaurav Sharma/RNZ
Police escorted the march, which temporarily closed Queen Street.Gaurav Sharma/RNZ
Spokesperson Bianca Ranson had said the aim was to stand in solidarity with diverse communities across Aotearoa.
The march continued through to Te Komititanga Square and the group then gathered in Myers Park.
The group called for unity among what they said was rising harassment of some minority groups.Gaurav Sharma/RNZ
Community group members addressed the gathering, including New Zealand Central Sikh Association representative Marshal Walia.
Marshal Walia, representative of New Zealand Central Sikh Association.Blessen Tom/RNZ
The rally ended with a haka led by Eru Kapa-Kingi.
Eru Kapa-Kingi.Blessen Tom/RNZ
After both rallies had ended, Hassan said police operations would continue to monitor any protest activity happening across Auckland CBD.
The police cordon around the Fanshawe Street motorway ramps was stood down about 2pm and Hassan said the protest group at Victoria park had largely dispersed.
“Our operation remains , and a police presence will remain across parts of the motorway network and CBD to monitor the situation.
“There are no further issues to report at this stage.”
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Teams working at the Mauao search site on 25 January.RNZ / Nick Monro
One of the teams who have worked at the tragic Mt Maunganui campground landslide are returning home.
The Fire and Emergency specialist Urban Search and Rescue team are “in the process of demobilisation” and have left the cordoned-off site, FENZ said on Saturday.
However, Bay of Plenty police district commander Tim Anderson confirmed recovery efforts were continuing at the site.
“While some teams have started to depart, all the required safety measures and equipment remain in place to ensure the safety of all the teams who continue to work at the scene,” Anderson said.
The departing FENZ team have “worked meticulously and tirelessly throughout the operation”, FENZ assistant national commander David Guard said.
“Our thoughts remain with the families who lost loved ones in this devastating event. I would also like to thank the community for their outpouring of support.”
Guard also acknowledged the FENZ partnership with Police: “It was instrumental in our ability to achieve outcomes through our rescue phase and as we supported them in the DVI recovery phase.”
Six people were believed missing at the site, after the massive landslide struck on 22 January. On Saturday, a coroner confirmed the body of Rotorua woman Susan Doreen Knowles had been identified – she is the sixth victim formally identified.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on January 31, 2026.
Silver and gold hit record highs – then crashed. Before joining the rush, you need to know this Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angel Zhong, Professor of Finance, RMIT University Zlaťáky.cz/Pexels, CC BY The start of 2026 has seen gold and silver surge to record highs – only to crash on Friday. Gold prices peaked above US$5,500 (A$7,900) per ounce for the first time on Thursday, well above previous highs.
Micronesia: Island US military veterans struggle to get healthcare By Giff Johnson, editor, Marshall Islands Journal / RNZ Pacific correspondent The death earlier this month of a 26-year veteran of the US Army from the Micronesian island of Kosrae, who was an ardent advocate for healthcare benefits for island veterans, highlights the ongoing lack of promised US healthcare support for those who served in
Jonathan Cook: BBC pushes the case for an illegal war on Iran with even bigger lies than Trump’s COMMENTARY: By Jonathan Cook Here is another example of utterly irresponsible journalism from the BBC on News at Ten. Diplomatic correspondent Caroline Hawley starts the Thursday edition by credulously amplifying a fantastical death toll of “tens of thousands of dead” from recent protests in Iran — figures provided by regime opponents. Contrast that with the
Open letter: Seven warning signals to the global warmongers who are claiming to lead COMMENTARY: By Richard David Hames Dear warmongers: You are sleepwalking towards a war in the Middle East that could set the whole world ablaze. Do not pretend you don’t know this. Your generals know it. Your intelligence agencies know it. Financial markets know it. Every citizen with a memory longer than a news cycle can
Puzzling slow radio pulses are coming from space. A new study could finally explain them Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Csanád Horváth, PhD Candidate, Radio Astronomy, Curtin University Artists impression of the white dwarf in GPM J1839-10 interacting with its companion star, producing a powerful radio beam. Danielle Futselaar Cosmic radio pulses repeating every few minutes or hours, known as long-period transients, have puzzled astronomers since their
View from The Hill: Hastie pulls out but Liberal leadership battle remains in flux Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The battle over the Liberal leadership took a dramatic turn late on Friday when Andrew Hastie announced he was pulling out. His surprise announcement came just a day after a meeting between Hastie and the other aspirant – defence spokesman
The government has promised a $25 billion boost to hospital funding – but only hints at real reform Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute Federal and state governments have finally resolved their long-running standoff on public hospital funding. The deal struck at National Cabinet on Friday includes a A$25 billion boost to hospital funding, and state government commitments on disability services
UpScrolled – the Australian pro-Palestine platform shaking up global social media Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – By Agnese Boffano in London As Meta, TikTok, Instagram and X continue to dominate online social spaces, a new platform called UpScrolled has entered the scene. It is not built around dances or memes, but instead positions itself as a space promising fewer shadowbans and greater
Sussan Ley fills frontbench holes temporarily, giving a brief window for Nationals to rethink Coalition split Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Opposition Leader Sussan Ley on Friday allocated responsibilities formerly held by the Nationals to existing Liberal shadow ministers on a temporary basis. This will get the opposition through the next parliamentary week, starting Tuesday. It also gives the Nationals a
UpScrolled – the pro-Palestine platform shaking up social media By Agnese Boffano in London As Meta, TikTok, Instagram and X continue to dominate online social spaces, a new platform called UpScrolled has entered the scene. It is not built around dances or memes, but instead positions itself as a space promising fewer shadowbans and greater freedom of political expression, particularly for pro-Palestinian voices. So,
Teams working at the Mauao search site on 25 January.RNZ / Nick Monro
One of the teams who have worked at the tragic Mt Maunganui campground landslide are returning home.
The Fire and Emergency specialist Urban Search and Rescue team are “in the process of demobilisation” and have left the cordoned-off site, FENZ said on Saturday.
However, Bay of Plenty police district commander Tim Anderson confirmed recovery efforts were continuing at the site.
“While some teams have started to depart, all the required safety measures and equipment remain in place to ensure the safety of all the teams who continue to work at the scene,” Anderson said.
The departing FENZ team have “worked meticulously and tirelessly throughout the operation”, FENZ assistant national commander David Guard said.
“Our thoughts remain with the families who lost loved ones in this devastating event. I would also like to thank the community for their outpouring of support.”
Guard also acknowledged the FENZ partnership with Police: “It was instrumental in our ability to achieve outcomes through our rescue phase and as we supported them in the DVI recovery phase.”
Six people were believed missing at the site, after the massive landslide struck on 22 January. On Saturday, a coroner confirmed the body of Rotorua woman Susan Doreen Knowles had been identified – she is the sixth victim formally identified.
The start of 2026 has seen gold and silver surge to record highs – only to crash on Friday.
Gold prices peaked above US$5,500 (A$7,900) per ounce for the first time on Thursday, well above previous highs. But by the end of Friday, it had dropped to around US$5068 (A$7,282).
Silver had been making gains even faster than gold. It hit more than US$120 (A$172) per ounce last week, marking one of its strongest runs in decades, before crashing on Friday to US$98.50 (A$141.50).
So what’s behind those surges and falls? And what should everyday investors know about the risks of investing in precious metals right now?
Why gold has been hitting new highs
Gold is the classic safe haven: an asset people buy to protect their savings when worried about financial risks.
With international political tensions rising, trade war threats, shifting signals about where interest rates are heading and a potential changing world order, investors are seeking assets that feel stable when everything else looks shaky.
Friday’s crash in gold and silver was sparked by financial markets reacting to early news of Donald Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh as chair of the US Federal Reserve. The US central bank plays a key role in global financial stability.
Central banks around the world have been buying gold at a rapid pace, reinforcing its reputation as a place to park value during periods of uncertainty.
But it’s not just big institutions moving the market. In Australia and overseas, retail investors – individuals buying and selling smaller amounts for themselves – have played a part too.
Those individuals have been increasingly treating gold, silver and other precious metals as a hedge against so much uncertainty, as well as a momentum play – trying to buy in to keep up with others.
As prices have trended upward, more everyday investors have bought in, especially through gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which make it simple to gain exposure without storing physical gold bullion.
While gold was grabbing headlines for much of 2025, silver has been the real showstopper. Before Friday’s fall, the metal had surged more than 60% in just the past month, far outpacing gold’s still impressive run of around 30%.
Unlike gold, silver has a split personality. Industrial uses are driving up demand for silver. It’s critical for clean energy technologies including solar panels, electric vehicles (EVs), and semiconductors.
This dual appeal – as a safe haven, but also as an in-demand industrial commodity – is drawing investors who see multiple reasons for prices to keep climbing.
Every solar panel contains about 20 grams of silver. The solar industry consumes nearly 30% of total global demand for silver.
EVs also use 25–50 grams each, and AI data centres need silver for semiconductors.
The kicker? The silver market has run a supply deficit for five consecutive years. We’re consuming more than we’re mining, and most silver comes as a byproduct of other metals. You can’t simply open more silver mines.
Individual buyers have piled into silver
One of Australia’s most popular online investment platforms for retail investors is CommSec, with around 3 million customers.
Bloomberg tracking of CommSec trades shows how much retail purchases of silver ETFs in particular have spiked higher in the past year.
Over the past year, gold ETF trades on CommSec grew 47%, with cumulative net buying reaching A$158 million. That reflects gold’s established role in portfolios.
Yet despite attracting slightly lower total investment overall at A$104 million, silver trading activity exploded by far more: it’s been 1,000% higher than the year before.
This means retail investors made far more frequent, smaller trades in silver. This is classic momentum-chasing behaviour, as everyday investors piled into an asset showing dramatic price gains.
The pattern is unmistakable: while gold remains the anchor, silver has become the speculative play.
Its lower per-ounce price, industrial demand narrative, and social media buzz make it particularly accessible to retail investors seeking exposure to the precious metals rally, at a much lower price than gold.
The risks every investor needs to know
The data shows Australian retail investors have been buying as prices rise. But this “fear of missing out” approach comes with serious risks.
Volatility cuts both ways. From February 2025 to just before Friday’s sharp drop, the price of silver had surged 269%. But even before that fall, silver’s spectacular gain had come with 36% “annualised volatility” (which measures how much a stock price varies over one year). That was nearly double gold’s 20% volatility over the same period.
What does that mean in practice? As we’ve just seen, what goes up fast can come down quickly too.
Buying high is dangerous. When retail investors pile in after major price increases, they often end up buying near the top. Professional investors and central banks have been accumulating gold and silver for years, at much lower prices.
No income, higher risk. Unlike shares or bonds, metals don’t pay dividends or interest. Your entire return depends on prices rising further from already elevated levels. And as the past few days have shown, the potential for sharp drawdowns is substantial.
Keep it modest. Financial advisers typically recommend precious metals comprise 5–15% of a diversified portfolio. After such extraordinary price volatility, that guideline matters more than ever.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and is not intended as financial advice. All investments carry risk.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Teenager Karim Lopez came alive in the closing minutes as the Breakers upset Melbourne United 97-95 in Auckland to keep their Australian NBL playoff hopes alive.
The rising Mexican star scored 14 of his game-high 32 points in the last five minutes as the home side pulled ahead to secure a much-needed upset win.
It was a career-high haul for Lopez, whose deeds helped the Breakers overturn an eight point deficit with five minutes to play.
Victory lifts them to seventh (11-17) and one win behind the Jackjumpers (11-18), who hold down the sixth and final playoff spot, with the two teams to meet in a crucial contest in Tasmania on Sunday.
After that, the Breakers have just four games remaining as they launch a bold bid for a post-season berth, knowing they’re without the services of injured big men Rob Baker and Sam Mennenga for the rest of the campaign.
Lopez stepped into the void, the 18-year-old showing why he is regarded as a potential NBA player.
His scoring was complemented by eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Robert Loe of the Breakers drives to the basket.photosport
Guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright finished with 23 points while centre Rob Loe’s 10 points were mixed with five rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
The Breakers shot exceptionally to open up a 17-8 lead but fourth-placed Melbourne edged the middle stages, led by 23 points from Jesse Edwards.
Former Breakers player Tom Abercrombie.David Rowland
After the match, former Breakers player Tom Abercrombie was honoured by having his jersey retired.
A four-time NBL champion, Abercrombie played from 2008 to 2024 and notched a club-record 429 games.
He addressed the crowd as his No.10 jersey was hung from the rafters at Spark Arena.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
The following is a statement on behalf of the family of Susan Knowles.
Sue was a mother, sister, aunty, grandmother, and loving wife. Her grandkids called her Granna, she was a friend to many and loved by all.
In many ways she was larger than life and will be dearly missed.
Sue had a positive impact on so many people’s lives, through her work and her hobbies outside of work.
We like to refer to her as an active relaxer, somebody who was always on the go and looking for her next adventure.
Our family would like to acknowledge and send our appreciation to everybody who has reached out and sent lovely tributes for Sue.
What the teams working on the ground are faced with, is by no means anybody’s day to day work, and we will forever be appreciative of everything they have done in these unprecedented circumstances.
The digger operators, Police staff and Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue team have worked tirelessly in extremely challenging conditions.
These men and women have turned up day in, day out and worked extremely hard to bring Sue back to us.
We have formed so many great relationships with the teams over the last week and their efforts will have a lasting impact on our lives.
We want to express our appreciation for local iwi, everybody that has worked on site and the community for all their assistance, love, and support that we have been shown.
Note to media: The family will not be providing further comment and ask that their privacy be respected as they grieve.
The death earlier this month of a 26-year veteran of the US Army from the Micronesian island of Kosrae, who was an ardent advocate for healthcare benefits for island veterans, highlights the ongoing lack of promised US healthcare support for those who served in the US armed forces.
Kosraen Robson Henry, who died earlier this month at age 66 in Kosrae, spent nearly half his life in the US military and was part of the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003.
A huge issue for Marshallese, Micronesian and Palauan members of the US Armed Forces is that once they get out of the military and return home, there are no Veterans Administration health services available to them as there are in the US and other international locations for American veterans.
To access medical care, island veterans must fly at their own expense to Honolulu, Guam or the US mainland where VA hospitals are located.
Despite the US Congress in the past several years adopting increasingly explicit legislation directing the US Veterans Administration to initiate systems for providing care to the hundreds of veterans of these three US-affiliated island nations, services have yet to materialise.
The Compact of Free Association (COFA) that became part of US law in 2024 “included provisions to have this healthcare available in our islands — as this Congress emphasised in November’s Continuing Resolution and December’s National Defense Authorisation Act,” Marshall Islands Ambassador to the US Charles Paul told a US House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Health hearing in January.
However, he said the Department of Veterans Affairs had not acted to make the healthcare available.
‘Actively advocating’ “Robson has been actively advocating to extend veteran benefits to COFA citizens since at least 2008-09, when I first met him,” said filmmaker Nathan Fitch, who directed the award-winning film Island Soldier that tracked the lives of Kosraeans in the US Army — from Middle East war zones to their isolated and tranquil island home in the North Pacific.
Fitch said the Kosraean veteran had been active for the longest time advocating for services for veterans.
“Any progress on benefits for COFA veterans has to be part of Robson’s legacy,” Fitch said.
Still, despite ongoing advocacy by veterans like Henry and Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Kalani Kaneko, a 20-year veteran of the US Army, services mandated by US Congressional legislation remain in limbo.
Henry was also one of the first Micronesians to join the US Army when he entered on 13 October 1987 — just a year after implementation of the first COFA that allowed citizens of the three freely associated states to join the US military.
Henry stayed in the Army until October 2013, a total of 26 years, through which he was posted to locations around the world and saw tours of duty in various Middle East battle zones.
His story is not atypical, as many islanders who join the US military remain in the US armed forces for decades.
Higher enlistment The US military “enlists our citizens at rates that are higher than the enlistment of US citizens in most US States,” noted Paul in his testimony at the hearing in Washington.
Paul told the House Veterans Committee members that healthcare for returning military veterans “was a major issue in the renegotiation of our free association, which culminated in the enactment of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024. The law was intended to resolve the issue”.
But he said the Veterans Administration “has acted contrary to what we negotiated, and Congress has said is the intent of the law. The government of the Marshall Islands, therefore, strongly supports the enactment of legislation to ensure that our veterans can receive the care if they return home.”
Meanwhile, a small section at the end of the over 3000 page National Defense Authorisation Act passed by the US Congress in December sets out a timetable for action by the Veterans Administration.
The US Defence spending law requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide the US Congress with updates within 30 days of the passage of the law and monthly thereafter on the implementation of provisions relating to services for military veterans in the freely associated states.
The defence law includes provisions requiring the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop plans and costs for providing health services for veterans from the freely associated states. This includes the requirement of:
Engagement with the three island governments;
A projected timeline for island veterans to receive hospital care and medical services; and
An estimate of the cost to implement these services.
‘Served honourably’ “For many years, Marshallese and other Freely Associated States veterans have served honourably in the United States Armed Forces, often at higher per capita rates than many States, yet without full and equal access to veterans’ benefits,” Foreign Minister Kalani Kaneko was quoted by the Marshall Islands Journal in its January 9 edition.
“Addressing that inequity has always been about fairness, dignity, and recognition of service not politics.”
Kaneko said that while the language of the US legislation passed in December is “encouraging . . . the most important phase now is implementation.”
He said the Marshall Islands government is ready to “work constructively with US agencies to support that process. This moment represents progress, but it is also a reminder that our partnership works best when commitments made in law are carried through in practice”.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Here is another example of utterly irresponsible journalism from the BBC on News at Ten.
Diplomatic correspondent Caroline Hawley starts the Thursday edition by credulously amplifying a fantastical death toll of “tens of thousands of dead” from recent protests in Iran — figures provided by regime opponents.
Contrast that with the BBC’s constant, two years of caution and downplaying of the numbers killed in Gaza by Israel.
The idea that in a few days Iranian security forces managed to kill as many Iranians as Israel has managed to kill Palestinians in Gaza from the prolonged carpet-bombing and levelling of the tiny enclave, as well as the starvation of its population, beggars belief. The figures sound patently ridiculous because they are patently ridiculous.
Either the Iran death toll is massively inflated, or the Gaza death toll is a massive underestimate. Or far more likely, both are intentionally being used to mislead.
The BBC pushes the case for an illegal war on Iran with even bigger lies than Trump’s.
The BBC has a political agenda that says it is fine to headline a made-up, inflated figure of the dead in Iran because our leaders have defined Iran as an Official Enemy.
While the BBC has a converse political agenda that says it’s fine to employ endless caveats to minimise a death toll in Gaza that is already certain to be a huge undercount because Israel is an Official Ally.
Stenography for the West This isn’t journalism. It’s stenography for Western governments that choose enemies and allies not on the basis of whether they adhere to any ethical or legal standards of behaviour but purely on the basis of whether they assist the West in its battle to dominate oil resources in the Middle East.
Notice something else. This news segment — focusing the attention of Western publics once again on the presumed wanton slaughter of protesters in Iran earlier this month — is being used by the BBC to advance the case for a war on Iran out of strictly humanitarian concerns that Trump himself doesn’t appear to share.
Trump has sent his armada of war ships to the Gulf not because he says he wants to protect protesters — in fact, missile strikes will undoubtedly kill many more Iranian civilians — but because he says he wishes to force Iran to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme.
There are already deep layers of deceit from Western politicians regarding Iran — not least, the years-long premise that Iran is seeking a nuclear bomb, for which there is still no evidence, and that Tehran is responsible for the breakdown of a deal to monitor its civilian nuclear power programme.
In fact, it was Trump in his first term as president who tore up that agreement.
Iran responded by enriching uranium above the levels needed for civilian use in a move that was endlessly flagged to Washington by Tehran and was clearly intended to encourage the previous Biden administration to renew the deal Trump had wrecked.
Instead, on his return to power, Trump used that enrichment not as grounds to return to diplomacy but as a pretext, first, to intensify US sanctions that have further crippled Iran’s economy, deepening poverty among ordinary Iranians, and then to launch a strike on Iran last summer that appears to have made little difference to its nuclear programme but served to weaken its air defences, to assassinate some of its leaders and to spread terror among the wider population.
Collective punishment Notice too — though the BBC won’t point it out — that the US sanctions are a form of collective punishment on the Iranian population that is in breach of international law and that last year’s strikes on Iran were a clear war of aggression, which is defined as “the supreme international crime”.
The US President is now posturing as though he is the one who wants to bring Iran to the negotiating table, by sending an armada of war ships, when it was he who overturned that very negotiating table in May 2018 and ripped up what was known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The BBC, of course, makes no mention whatsoever of this critically important context for judging the credibility of Trump’s claims about his intentions towards Iran.
Instead its North America editor, Sarah Smith, vacuously regurgitates as fact the White House’s evidence-free claim that Iran has a “nuclear weapons programme” that Trump wants it to “get rid of”.
BBC’s North America editor Sarah Smith . . . coolly laying out the US mechanics of attacking Iran – the build-up to war – without ever mentioning that such an attack would be in complete violation of international law. Image: JC/BBC screenshot APR
But on top of all that, media like the BBC are adding their own layers of deceit to sell the case for a US war on Iran.
First, they are doing so by trying to find new angles on old news about the violent repression of protests inside Iran. They are doing so by citing extraordinary, utterly unevidenced death toll figures and then tying them to the reasons for Trump going on the war path.
The BBC’s reporting is centring once again — after the catastrophes of Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere — bogus humanitarian justifications for war when Trump himself is making no such connection.
And second, the BBC’s reporting by Sarah Smith coolly lays out the US mechanics of attacking Iran — the build-up to war — without ever mentioning that such an attack would be in complete violation of international law. It would again be “the supreme international crime”.
‘Weakened leadership’ Instead she observes: “Donald Trump senses an opportunity to strike at a weakened leadership in Tehran. But how is actually going to do that?
“I mean he talked in his message about the successful military actions that have definitely emboldened him after the actions he took in Venezuela and earlier last year in Iran.”
Imagine if you can — and you can’t — the BBC dispassionately outlining Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plans to move on from his invasion of Ukraine into launching military strikes on Poland.
Its correspondents note calmly the number of missiles Putin has massed closer to Poland’s borders, the demands made by the Russian leader of Poland if it wishes to avoid attack, and the practical obstacles standing in the way of the attack.
One correspondent ends by citing Putin’s earlier, self-proclaimed “successes”, such as the invasion of Ukraine, as a precedent for his new military actions.
It is unthinkable. And yet not a day passes without the BBC broadcasting this kind of blatant warmongering slop dressed up as journalism.
The British public have to pay for this endless stream of disinformation pouring into their living rooms — lies that not only leave them clueless about important international events but drive us ever closer to the brink of global conflagration.
Jonathan Cook is a writer, journalist and self-appointed media critic and author of many books about Palestine. Winner of the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism. This article was first published on the author’s Substack and reepublished with permission.
“Media like the BBC are adding their own layers of deceit to sell the case for a US war on Iran.” Image: JC/BBC screenshot APR
PSNA says for once the New Zealand government has made a good decision for Gaza by refusing to join Trump’s Board of Peace.
But PSNA also says New Zealand must continue to push for complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, full resumption of humanitarian aid and a realisation of the basic human rights for Palestinians everywhere, including a right of return.
Co-Chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa, John Minto says a complete absence of any elected Palestinians in implementing the Gaza Peace Plan doomed it from the start.
“But then Trump mission-crept his Board of Peace into a personal global fiefdom, as an alternative to the United Nations. His claim to bring peace to the whole world, sounds as imbecilic as a speech from a Miss World contestant.”
Minto says the New Zealand government must at last realise that the Israeli government is only interested in destroying Palestinian resistance so it can ethnically cleanse Gaza.
“Netanyahu admits the October peace agreement, which the Board of Peace is ostensibly founded on, is ‘largely symbolic’.”
“Israel has re-expanded its area of control to up to three-quarters of the entire Gaza Strip and its ministers are saying Israel will never withdraw, whether the Board of Peace likes it or not.”
“Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has just stated Israel will not permit reconstruction to start in Gaza until he is satisfied Hamas has completely disarmed and surrendered.”
“The IDF has continued to bomb and shoot Palestinians in Gaza almost every day. It is bombing Lebanon, despite a peace agreement there too.”
“According to theIndependent, Israel is also recruiting and arming Palestinian gangs ‘running rampant’ in Gaza to attack Hamas.”
Minto says perhaps the most important issue the New Zealand government must consider is that achievement of Palestinian rights can’t be isolated to Gaza, but must include, in particular, the West Bank, where instances of killings of Palestinians by illegal settlers are surging.
“Every previous attempt in the past nearly 50 years, and Israel made sure they all failed, from Camp David onwards, was ostensibly based on a comprehensive and universal achievement of Palestinian national rights.”
“Real peace can only occur if these are realised, and not subject to Israeli whim and veto,” Minto says.
“Trump’s plan for his ‘Riviera of the Middle East’, is built on top of the bones of at least seventy thousand Palestinians, a number that even Israel now admits is true.”
“If they are lucky, living Palestinians will get to be janitors and bellhops.”
“New Zealand has wisely chosen to walk away from this madness. But nonetheless our government can’t use this decision as an excuse to walk away from Palestine in order to wash its hands of complicity with a continuing genocide.”
A large flash that lit up the night sky over Wellington was captured by a live feed camera and has prompted speculation it could have been a meteor.
The bright light was seen by people facing south at 11.25pm on Friday night, and travelled from east to west on an almost horizontal trajectory.
A PredictWind.com live feed camera (at timestamp 23:25:26) at the Heretaunga Boating Club, facing over Wellington Harbour from Petone, captured the ‘shooting star’.
It showed a circle of light with a long bright tail behind it entering view over the Eastern Hutt Hills from about a 10 o’clock bearing. The ‘head’ of light then flared brightly to a much bigger size – producing a wider and brighter trail behind it and at least two small bursts of light directly below it – then disappeared, leaving the brightest part of the trail to fade slowly.
“I live in Petone and it lit up my room,” one person said on a Lower Hutt Facebook group.
“I saw it in Tītahi Bay,” another person said. “From my point of view it looked like a green line shooting across the sky,” another said.
Supplied/ PredictWind.com
Several social media commenters asked if it could have been a meteor.
“Watched from my window in Ngaio. Most fantastic streak of blue/teal. Would have burnt up in the atmosphere,” a Redditor said.
Supplied/ PredictWind.com
A MetService spokesperson said sometimes their weather monitoring does pick up things like this, but in this case, while forecasters had checked their radars and other monitoring systems on Friday night, nothing had showed up.
The International Meteor Organisation posted online that data from the US Space Force indicated space debris had been observed re-entering the atmosphere 800km south of New Zealand – but later in the night, at 1.39am NZT(12.39pm UTC).
That was from a “massive (11 tons) second stage of a Chinese rocket, launched on December 3, 2025.”