Attribute to Detective Inspector Jamie Woods, Wellington Police:
Police can now release the name of the man found deceased at a Malone Road, Lower Hutt property on 9 April.
He was 29-year-old Nathaniel Sturmey.
We acknowledge this is an incredibly difficult time for Mr Sturmey’s family and support is being provided.
The investigation into the circumstances of Mr Sturmey’s death continues, and there will continue to be an increased Police presence in the Lower Hutt area.
The scene examination has been completed, and Police are working to understand Mr Sturmey’s movements in the hours preceding his death.
Police are appealing to the public for information about the incident and are particularly interested in any suspicious activity in the Waterloo, Lower Hutt area between the hours of 10pm on 8 April and 3am 9 April 2026.
Anyone with information that might help our enquiries can go online or call 105, quoting reference number 260409/9927.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
File photo. Police asked motorists to avoid the intersection of Telegraph Road south of Burnham.RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
A person has died after a crash near Christchurch.
State Highway 1 was blocked and two people were trapped after two vehicles collided south of Burnham at the intersection of Telegraph Road about 7.30am on Tuesday.
Police confirmed one person died at the scene.
Another was taken to hospital by helicopter in a serious condition.
St John sent two ambulances, a first response unit, a critical care paramedic, an operations manager and a helicopter.
Two vehicles collided south of Burnham at the intersection of Telegraph Road about 7.30am on Tuesday.Waka Kotahi / NZTA
The road reopened about 11.45am.
Police said officers were investigating the circumstances of the crash.
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
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne
The recent military conflict in the Middle East triggered a sharp increase in petrol prices throughout March, with the federal government’s subsequent excise cut providing only partial relief.
Queensland already had a 50-cent flat fare in place.
Other states and territories have not implemented similar measures.
But the moves by Victoria and Tasmania created a natural comparison: there are similar fuel price pressures but different public transport pricing across Australian states.
We examined how car use and travel patterns have changed since early April across three Australian states. Here’s what we found.
An unprecedented situation
The effectiveness of free public transport lies not only in increasing patronage, but in how much of that increase comes from reduced car use.
Evidence from Australia and other countries shows more people use public transport when it’s free. But much of this increase does not come from drivers switching modes. It often reflects more frequent use by existing public transport users, or shifts from walking and cycling.
What had not been tested is how people respond under a sudden fuel price increase. This created a rare situation where past evidence offered limited guidance.
We therefore examined this empirically. We surveyed nearly 2,000 Australians across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland about a week after free public transport was introduced in Victoria. This allowed us to observe how travellers responded to rising fuel prices under different public transport pricing regimes.
How rising fuel prices changed travel
Our analysis shows car use has declined: across the three states, about 42% of respondents reported reducing their driving, with broadly similar patterns across states.
The shift to public transport, however, has not been uniform.
In Queensland, where fares were already heavily discounted, 21% reported shifting some commuting trips from car to public transport. This compares to about 24% in NSW and 26% in Victoria.
Free public transport in Victoria appears to have had some effect in shifting demand away from cars, but the difference compared to NSW – where fares remained unchanged – is modest rather than dramatic.
Non-work trips have been less responsive. On average, about 17% reported shifting some non-work trips to public transport, again with Victoria slightly higher at around 19%.
Other adjustments have also emerged. Around 16% reported working from home more often, while about 12% are now considering purchasing an electric vehicle.
The barriers beyond fare price
Given the high price of fuel and free public transport in Victoria, what has stopped people from embracing public transport more?
Access could be the key.
Across the sample, only about 49% reported they had good access to public transport, while the rest reported limited or none.
More than 30% reported public transport is not accessible to them within a reasonable walking distance (10-15 minutes). About 25% said it requires at least a short drive.
About 62% reported either they do not have a park-and-ride option (car parks at train stations) at the nearest station or stop, or that the parking is always full.
Another issue is the increase in travel time when using public transport, with about 70% saying their trip will be slower with public transport.
Access and travel time are only part of the story though. For many car users, familiarity with the public transport network also matters.
Planned disruptions – such as service replacements or altered routes – can make journeys more complex and less predictable.
For regular users, these may be manageable. But for those considering a mode shift, even small complications can act as a deterrent and negate the free fare policy. In that sense, disruptions are not conducive to encouraging new users at a time when incentives are in place.
Effective or just popular policy?
The patterns we observe suggest travellers are sensitive to cost.
Around four in ten people reported reducing their driving during the fuel price spike, indicating clear sensitivity to rising costs.
However, the relatively small difference between Victoria, where public transport was free, and NSW – where fares remained unchanged – suggests price is not the main constraint on mode shift. Access, travel time, service reliability and the ability to make specific trips appear to matter more.
This limits how effective fare-free policies can be in reducing car dependence. But effectiveness is only one dimension of policy. There is also public support.
Our results show free public transport is widely popular, with around 78% of respondents agreeing to varying degrees that it should be implemented during periods of high fuel prices – even if they are unlikely to use it themselves.
There is also recognition of shared responsibility: more than 70% agree reducing car use during such periods is a social responsibility, particularly to help ease demand for fuel.
But the broader reduction in car use appears to have been driven by fuel prices themselves, not fare policy. Victoria’s free public transport may have helped at the margins, but it did not produce a markedly different outcome from states that did not intervene.
This suggests that while fare relief is popular and can expand options, it is not, on its own, a decisive lever for reducing car dependence.
This US naval blockade is meant to strangle the Iranian economy by preventing it from exporting oil — the economic lifeline of Iran. It will do nothing of the sort.
Please study the infographics below. Before the war started, Iran was furiously loading tankers with oil at 3 times the normal rate and sending them off to the Far East, with the ultimate destination being China.
China buys 90 percent of Iranian oil, with many of its private refineries — known colloquially as “tea pot” refineries — depending on Iranian crude.
There are presently at least 158 million barrels of Iranian oil sitting in some 96 tankers anchored near the Malaysian state of Johor. There, ship-to-ship transfers take place, before the shipments go off to their final destinations in China.
So this naval blockade will cost the Americans billions of dollars to maintain, but the only thing it will achieve is to make countries dependent on oil from the Persian Gulf such as Australia, Britain, Europe, Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh cry.
American voters will get mad at Trump for the surging prices at the pump and give the Republicans a shellacking in the mid-terms.
Iran rolling in cash Iran will be rolling in cash from the sale of these 158 million barrels of oil already at sea and far away from any naval blockade, and the Iranians will be laughing at the stupidity of the Americans.
Isn’t this the classic illustration of the saying “closing the stable door after the horse has bolted”?
Let us see how long Trump can afford to keep up with this charade.
You would think that American intelligence would have the wherewithal to better advise their President what a harebrained idea his naval blockade is.
Lim Tean is a Singaporean lawyer, politician and commentator. He is the founder of the political party People’s Voice and a co-founder of the political alliance People’s Alliance for Reform.
Dodgy licence plates spotted by Police have served up two prolific burglars overnight.
An eagle-eyed Police Camera Operator observed a vehicle travelling with mismatched licence plates in Manurewa at about 1.45am.
Counties Manukau Central Area Prevention Manager, Inspector MinHo Lee, says Police units arrived quickly to its location at outside a bar on Maich Road.
“Two people were seen leaving the bar and entering the vehicle, and our staff intervened before the vehicle could leave,” he says.
“Further enquiries revealed the pair were also wanted in relation to a spate of burglaries at Auckland businesses so it was a great catch.”
Inspector Lee says further investigations revealed the vehicle was also stolen from Kingseat in January.
“This is a great example of our community keeping an eye out and a reminder for the public to continue reporting any suspicious or concerning activity to Police immediately on 111.”
A 33-year-old man has been charged with nine counts of burglary, and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, and will appear in Manukau District Court today.
A 35-year-old woman will also appear in Manukau District Court today charged with unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle, possession of methamphetamine and cannabis, possession of an offensive weapon and six counts of burglary.
Mental health minister Matt Doocey.RNZ / Mark Papalii
The South Island’s first crisis recovery café has opened in Christchurch.
The government is providing funding to bring the total number of cafés around the country from six to eight.
Opening the Christchurch site on Colombo Street, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the cafés gave people experiencing mental distress an option to go to a calm, peer-led, non-clinical space for support, instead of having to go to an emergency department.
“We know wraparound support is so important, having someone who can help refer people on to long-term support can make a real difference and help people feel less overwhelmed when seeking support.”
People would not need a referral, and would be connected with community services and wraparound support.
The Christchurch café will be run by providers Purapura Whetu, Odyssey House Trust, and Stepping Stone Trust, and will officially start accepting clients next month.
Around 100 locals who had experience of mental health services themselves had provided input into the design of the café.
“That means a lot,” Doocey said. “What we want to do is to make sure when we think about local needs, they are serviced well. And that’s what services like this provide.”
Project operations manager Maree Hansen from Purapura Whetu said the site would be staffed by people who have also been through something similar.
“You can actually talk with others and say, ‘Hey, this helped me when I was feeling like this and this might help you.’ You can’t learn that out of a book. You have to experience that.”
Hansen expected the site would be busy. Doocey said an existing cafe in Wellington was seeing up to 300 people a fortnight.
“That’s a real difference. Quite often, they’re people who could potentially be going to an emergency department. It takes real pressure off them as well and ultimately gives people choice.”
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
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 April 2026 – Media OutReach Newswire, Asia Pacific’s first and only global newswire, has appointed Ms Pamela Phua as Managing Partner, Southeast Asia. This newly created leadership role is designed to accelerate the company’s growth across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines – and to serve the growing demand from Southeast Asian brands seeking to build their corporate reputation and brand trust in global markets.
Media OutReach Newswire Appoints Pamela Phua as Managing Partner, Southeast Asia
Pamela brings over 20 years of experience in public relations and integrated communications. Having engaged Media OutReach Newswire’s global press release distribution, she developed a first-hand appreciation of the newswire’s core promise: guaranteed news posting on real media with domain authority, direct access to over 200,000 real journalists and editors through a proprietary international media database to achieve earned media coverage, post-release reports with data insights, as well as its pioneering PR Campaign Intelligence reports for C-suites that give clients a clear, measurable picture of communications impact.
“I have seen how Media OutReach Newswire has genuinely changed the way brands communicate beyond their home markets, reaching journalists to build cross-border media relations and garner earned media coverage. The newswire’s ability to guarantee verbatim placement on authoritative news sites with high domain trust – ensures that key messages are cited by the AI models that now shape how the world discovers brands. This is a capability that is much needed now by PR, communications and marketing professionals,” said Pamela.
“With guaranteed news posting on real news sites, there is full control in delivering campaign key messages to maximise PR impact, in addition to achieving quality earned media coverage on top of that. I am inspired by the newswire service as a key partner for Southeast Asia’s most ambitious companies and strategic communicators in telling the region’s growth story,” she added.
The appointment follows the recent naming of Ms Kitty Lee as Managing Partner, Greater China, signalling a strategic push by Media OutReach Newswire to connect Asian brands, companies and governments to global journalists and audiences.
Powering the “East-to-Global” Narrative with SEO, GEO, AI Citation and Earned Media
Southeast Asia is producing a new generation of regionally confident, globally ambitious brands. At the same time, deepening trade and investment ties between Greater China and Southeast Asia are driving a surge in East-to-East communications, alongside growing East-to-global expansion.
Ms Jennifer Kok, Founder and CEO of Media OutReach Newswire, said: “We are witnessing a structural shift where Asia is increasingly driving global innovation, with Asian brands expanding their business across Southeast Asia, ASEAN, Asia Pacific, as well as international markets. Media OutReach Newswire’s Total PR and Communications Solution is focused on supporting these brands as they develop corporate and brand messaging that builds trust with journalists, editors, investors and customers.”
Recognising the importance of AI-citation, Media OutReach Newswire recently launched JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) Schema Markup to enhance the technical infrastructure of clients’ press releases and optimise AI visibility. The company continues to focus on adopting AI across its press release distribution network, workflows, and post-release reporting.
As AI algorithms trust news posted on real media, Media OutReach Newswire’s guaranteed news posting empowers AI discoverability. The newswire’s guaranteed news posting partners in Singapore and Asia Pacific (APAC) include leading media Asia News Network (ANN), AsiaOne, CNA, Vulcan Post, MoneyFM89.3 , Malay Mail, The Sun Daily, Dagang News, MySinchew, Vietnam News, Vietnam Plus and The Manila Times to name a few.
“With a global press release distribution network spanning APAC, USA, Canada, UK, and Europe, as well as Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, we are uniquely positioned to help Southeast Asian companies and governments build lasting brand equity and trust globally. I am excited to have Pamela on board to help our clients leverage our unique ability to power both SEO and GEO, as well as earned media, internationally,” Jennifer added.
Before her senior management roles at consultancies including Ruder Finn, Ogilvy PR and Omnicom PR Group over the past eight years, Pamela held in-house leadership roles heading Marketing and PR at airline HK Express, as well as Communications and Guest Relations at airline Scoot (under the SIA Group).
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 April 2026 – New Zealand returns to Food and Hospitality Asia (FHA) for the first time since 2018 with a dedicated national pavilion showcasing 15 food and beverage companies at Singapore Expo from 21 to 24 April 2026. The pavilion will spotlight innovative and premium quality products for Asia’s retail, hospitality and foodservice buyers, reinforcing its reputation as a trusted and safe food and beverage producer and supplier to the region. These exhibitors offer a glimpse into New Zealand’s world-class, premium food and beverage sector.
Hero image of New Zealand Food and beverage. New Zealand’s food and beverage is known for its exceptional taste, nutritional value and premium quality – and it reflects a culture of innovation that’s helping to shape the future of food.
New Zealand’s participation in FHA demonstrates long-term commitment not only to Singapore but across the region, showcasing how New Zealand looks to continue its partnership through trade and innovation, while helping to shape the future of food.
New Zealand food and beverage exports to Asia grew from NZ$5.5 billion in 2018 to NZ$8.4 billion in 20251. Notably, New Zealand and Singapore share a strong partnership spanning over 60 years – both are small, advanced economies that depend on international trade for growth. Food and beverage illustrate this relationship: it plays an important part in addressing common challenges between both countries. For New Zealand exporters, Singapore serves as a key market and a strategic gateway to the region.
“FHA is an important meeting point for buyers across Asia, and this pavilion gives interested buyers and partners a direct way to meet New Zealand producers and explore our outstanding, safe, great tasting F&B products for retail, hospitality and foodservice,” said Joe Nelson, Regional Director for South East and East Asia at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE).
He adds, “We want to showcase the best of what New Zealand has to offer. The 15 companies exhibiting this year have something specific to offer – from dairy and honey, to snacks, beverages and premium ingredients. Several already supply into the region and are here to deepen those relationships, while others are bringing products to Asian buyers for the first time. Either way, buyers who visit will be tasting products and talking directly to the people who make them.”
Companies showcasing their products at the New Zealand Pavilion include Ao Cacao, a New Zealand bean-to-bar artisan chocolate maker with 18 international medals across leading chocolate competitions, including an award in the Club des Croqueurs de Chocolat Guide – widely known as the “Michelin Guide of Chocolate”. The brand will feature its single origin dark chocolate, specialty milk chocolate and foodservice range at the show. Family business Barker’s, founded in 1969, has more than 20 years in exporting and producing fruit and vegetables-based syrups, spreads, chutneys and sauces and will feature its new squeeze relishes and preserves at the tradeshow.
Blue Frog, New Zealand’s leading premium granola brand, known for its bold flavour combinations and high nut content, will showcase their breakfast cereals, made using premium natural ingredients for an indulgent granola experience. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s only certified organic chicken producer Bostock Brothers & Waitoawill be featuring its naturally lean, halal-certified organic Smoked Applewood chicken rashers, among other products.
Producers of high-quality, premium dairy products Canary Foodswill be showcasing its double-churned pastry butter sheets and butter medallions known for its deliciously creamy texture and spreadability, while international specialty coffee icon and B-Corp Certified Coffee Supremewill be showcasing its Supreme Blend in different formats, from whole beans and espresso roast to drip bags.
Comvita, the global leader in UMF-certified Mānuka honey and science-backed bee-based health products will introduce its limited edition MānuKaya and Bird’s Nest Mānuka Honey drink, alongside its Kids Mānuka Honey Eye Health Jelly and Mānuka Honey Pops. Meanwhile, the number one supplier of retail natural cheese and cheese manufacturer in New Zealand Dairyworkswill showcase its creamy cheese and cracker snack packs, along its natural, orange-coloured cheddar burger slices.
New entrants to Singapore and the region, family-owned juice brand Eden Orchards, will be showcasing its Pure Blueberry and Pure Cherry juice. Its blueberry juice is rich in antioxidants; while its cherry juice, which naturally contains melatonin, is becoming a go-to addition to evening routines. Meanwhile, Griffin’s, New Zealand’s largest snack food company since 1890 will spotlight its high quality and premium snacks – from natural snack bars and biscuits – to crisps and crackers across its 4 brands.
Leading New Zealand protein snack business Jack Link’swill feature its high protein meat snacks, renowned for bold flavours – perfect for those who are active and health conscious. Southern Fresh, New Zealand’s leading growers and processors of premium fresh produce will introduce its airfreight, popular and crunchy baby spinach and baby coloured carrots at the pavilion.
Stock Shop Co., premium New Zealand producer of chef-made stocks, glaces, jus and sauces for professional kitchens, will feature its two globally recognised products, Veal and Lobster Stock, while Tatua,world-class manufacturer of specialty dairy ingredients and products made from New Zealand grass-fed certified milk, will showcase its newly launched indulgent Crème Custard. Not forgetting Whittaker’s, New Zealand’s beloved chocolate and confectionery brand will feature its 100% bean-to-bar, palm-oil free chocolates at the pavilion.
Don’t just visit the booth – experience New Zealand’s finest at your table. For a limited time this April and May, Singapore restaurants Artichoke and Magpie will launch specially crafted menus using premium ingredients from several innovative New Zealand companies.
Taste the difference. Visit the New Zealand Pavilion at Hall 8, Booth 8D4-01 at Food & Hospitality Asia 2026 from 21 to 24 April 2026 at Singapore Expo, and our exclusive website to find out more about our exhibiting companies.
Charlisse Leger-Walker of the UCLA Bruins makes a pass during the second half of their game against the Tennessee Lady Vols at UCLA Pauley Pavilion on 30 November 2025 in Los Angeles, California.Luiza Moraes / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP
Charlisse Leger-Walker has become just the second New Zealand woman to earn a contract in the WNBA – the premier women’s basketball league in the world.
Leger-Walker was picked up by the Connecticut Sun with the 18th pick in the draft which was held in New York on Tuesday.
Five of her UCLA college team-mates were selected in the first round, while Leger-Walker was the third pick in the second round.
Leger-Walker attended St Peter’s School in Cambridge before starting her collegiate career in the United States.
She played for Washington State between 2020 and 2024, before transferring to the UCLA Bruins.
A serious knee injury meant she didn’t play her first season for UCLA but she had a dream final NCAA this year with the Bruins, playing 38 games, averaging 28 minutes, 8.4 points and 5.6 assists.
In the NCAA final against South Carolina, Leger-Walker scored 10 points.
Her mother, Leanne Walker, is a former Tall Fern, and her sister Krystal has also represented New Zealand.
The only other New Zealand woman to compete in the WNBA was Megan Compain who played for Utah Starzz in 1997.
University of Connecticut guard Azzi Fudd was taken by the Dallas Wings as the number one pick in the WNBA draft.
Leger-Walker’s UCLA team-mate Lauren Betts was selected by the Washington Mystics with the fourth pick.
Leger-Walker becomes the first New Zealand woman to be drafted into the WNBA.
Speaking after her selection, Leger-Walker hoped it would inspire others back home.
“I’m just really humbled that I can be that role model and hope that everybody watching from New Zealand knows that they belong here and if they set their sights high they can be limitless.”
She said she was looking forward to joining up with her new team-mates.
“Going in with an open mind, taking in a lot from the vets, learning a lot and just being the best team-mate I can be in whatever role that is.”
The 2026 WNBA season starts in early May with the Sun playing the New York Liberty.
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
Many households will recognise this familiar exchange. One person insists an object simply isn’t there: impossible to find despite what they describe as a thorough and highly competent search. Another walks in, glances briefly at the same spot and points to it almost immediately.
“It’s right under your nose!”
This frustrating (for both sides) situation reflects something real about how the brain works. Finding objects in everyday environments relies on a process called visual search, and our brains are surprisingly imperfect at it. Even when something is directly in front of us, the brain can fail to register its presence. In other words, we are looking without seeing.
At first glance, searching for something seems simple. You scan a surface – a kitchen counter, a desk, the “everything” drawer – until the missing item appears.
But the brain cannot analyse every object in a scene simultaneously. Instead, it relies on attention, selecting certain features while filtering out the rest.
Psychologists often describe attention as a kind of spotlight sweeping across the visual field. Wherever that spotlight lands, information is processed in detail. Everything outside it receives far less scrutiny.
There is a practical anatomical reason the brain must constantly shift its gaze. The centre of the retina – the fovea – provides our sharpest vision. But it covers only a tiny part of the visual field, roughly the size of your thumbnail held at arm’s length. To inspect a scene properly, our eyes must repeatedly jump so that different parts of the environment fall onto this small, high-resolution patch.
Those jumps are called saccades, and they happen constantly. Even when you think you are staring steadily at something, your eyes are quietly darting from point to point.
Most of the time, this system works remarkably well. It allows us to navigate visually complex environments without becoming overwhelmed by information.
Looking without seeing
Seeing, it turns out, is not just about what reaches the eyes. It is also about what the brain expects to find. This phenomenon is known as inattentional blindness.
One of the most famous demonstrations of this involves a video in which participants watch a group of people passing a basketball and are asked to count the number of passes. While viewers concentrate on the task, a person in a gorilla suit strolls casually through the scene.
Roughly half the viewers never notice the gorilla at all.
The gorilla is not hidden. It walks directly across the centre of the screen. But the brain, focused on counting basketball passes, simply fails to register it.
[embedded content]
Did you spot the gorilla?
If you have ever searched a kitchen counter for your keys only to have someone else pick them up instantly, you have experienced the same phenomenon.
Once visual information reaches the brain, it is processed along different pathways. One of these – often called the dorsal stream – runs toward the parietal lobe of the brain, an area that plays a crucial role in spatial awareness and directing attention. This helps the brain determine where objects are in space. This system plays a crucial role in guiding attention during visual search.
Do men and women search differently?
In describing this familiar household moment, I avoided invoking a particular stereotype. The one where it is my husband who cannot find the object sitting directly in front of him.
Studies of visual search tasks have found small differences in how men and women scan complex scenes. On average, women tend to perform slightly better at locating objects in cluttered environments, while men often perform better on tasks involving large-scale spatial navigation or mentally rotating objects in three dimensions.
The reasons for this are still debated, but part of the answer may lie in how we move our eyes while searching.
Visual search relies on shifting our gaze from one point to another – the previously mentioned “saccades”. Eye-tracking studies show that some people tend to scan a scene methodically, moving their gaze in a more systematic pattern. Others make larger jumps across the visual field.
A systematic scan is more likely to cover every part of a cluttered surface, increasing the chances of spotting something small, such as a pair of keys or the elusive kitchen scissors. Larger jumps, by contrast, can skip over areas entirely, leaving an object sitting in plain sight but never quite falling under the brain’s attentional spotlight.
Some evolutionary psychologists have suggested these tendencies may have deep historical roots in hunter-gatherer societies. However, there is limited evidence for this. Experience, familiarity with an environment, and simple differences in attention probably matter far more than gender alone.
Ultimately, visual search is less like scanning a photograph and more like running a prediction algorithm. The brain constantly guesses where something is likely to be and directs attention accordingly.
Most of the time those predictions are correct. Occasionally, they are not, and an object sitting in plain sight fails to match the brain’s expectations.
Which means the next time someone insists they have looked everywhere, they may well be telling the truth. They just haven’t looked in quite the right way.
Police are condemning a man’s actions, after the Police Eagle helicopter suffered a laser strike overnight.
The west Auckland man will appear in court this week facing a serious charge.
At about 2.35am this morning, Eagle was in the Glen Eden area attending jobs when the crew were repeatedly targeted by a laser from the ground.
Senior Sergeant Garry Larsen, Officer in Charge, Air Support Unit, says the laser shone directly into the cockpit of the helicopter and the crew were subjected to the glare and flash blindness associated with such a strike.
“Our onboard technology was able to clearly capture the alleged offender in the act, and instantly identified their address.
“Police ground units arrived quickly and took a 50-year-old man into custody without incident.”
Senior Sergeant Larsen says the man has been charged with endangering transport.
“This offence carries a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment, recognising the terrible consequences that could occur after lasering any aircraft.
“The Police Eagle helicopter is out there working hard for the protection and safety of our community and this type of behaviour is unacceptable.”
The 50-year-old man will appear in the Waitākere District Court on 20 April.
Police are limited in further comment as this matter is now before the Court.
David Boyle has been appointed as Retirement Commissioner, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer has announced.
Cameron Brewer says Mr Boyle has had a strong focus on retirement savings during his extensive experience in the public and private sectors.
“He played a key role in establishing KiwiSaver at ING and is currently the general manager of KiwiSaver at Fisher Funds.
“With our much-loved Baby Boomers now somewhere between 62 and 80 years of age, issues around retirement savings and caring for our seniors are only growing in prominence. Likewise, the role of the Retirement Commissioner continues to increase in importance.
“Mr Boyle has also previously worked at the Retirement Commission with a focus on improving financial wellbeing, monitoring of retirement villages, and leading the initial development of the Commission’s ‘Sorted in Schools’ financial education programme.
“This experience makes him ideally placed to advise the Government on retirement income policy issues and to champion the steps all New Zealanders should be taking to secure a comfortable retirement.”
Mr Boyle is currently chair of children’s charity Stand Tū Māia, has chaired Ngāi Tahu investment scheme Whai Rawa Funds Limited, and was a board member for youth songwriting charity Play it Strange. His career in the financial sector includes senior banking roles, and he is a regular media commentator on financial issues.
Mr Boyle has been appointed for a three-year term, starting on 18 May.
Mr Brewer also acknowledged outgoing commissioner Jane Wrightson, who will step down after six years in the role.
“I would like to thank Ms Wrightson for her leadership and commitment. Over her two terms as commissioner, she has been a steadfast advocate for better financial capability and retirement outcomes for New Zealanders.”
The Black Ferns know they won’t get away with more ill-discipline shown in this weekend’s highly anticipated clash with Canada in Kansas.
The two teams meet for the first time since last year’s World Cup semi-final in England, which Canada won to end New Zealand’s title defence.
The Black Ferns, coming off a big win over the US to start their season and Pacific Four campaign, are desperate to get one back over a Canadian side that has surpassed them in the world rankings.
However, they will struggle if they fall foul of the referees like they did in the victory over the US.
The New Zealanders received three yellow cards, one of which was upgraded to red, in last Sunday’s 48-15 win in Sacramento. Reserve prop Tanya Kalounivale was sin-binned for making contact with an opponent’s head during a cleanout and the card was upgraded to red with the TMO declaring it had “a high degree of danger”.
Liana Mikaele-Tu’u and Vici-Rose Green also got yellow cards, with the team playing with just 13 on the field at one stage late in the match.
Co-captain Kennedy Tukuafu told RNZ the Black Ferns can’t afford to go down a player, or two, against world No.2 Canada.
“Discipline will be a focus for us this week, just limiting our penalties and maintaining composure,” Tukuafu said.
The Black Ferns are rebuilding under new coach Whitney Hansen following last year’s World Cup disappointment and Tukuafu said they have to balance their desire to win every game with their desire to create a new game plans and style of play.
“We have a really cool opportunity to test our rugby DNA. We’ve tried to evolve and all that great stuff. And we’ve got the players to really just light it up.
“So discipline will be a focus and then when we get our opportunities, it’s just about nailing the little parts of rugby, like the body height collisions and making chop tackles so they can’t get a roll on, little things like that.”
Tukuafu said they have plans in place should they cop cards against Canada.
“We prepare for the what-ifs and we prepared for two yellow cards (against the US). It was just about realising we’ve only got 13 (players). The rugby doesn’t change, but we need to change positions. So our halfback went to hooker and out front row coming on and off etc. We prepare for those kinds of things, even if they’re not ideal.
The Black Ferns are also sweating on the availability of prop Tanya Kalounivale as they prepare for their biggest test of the season so far.
Kalounivale received a red card for making contact with an opponent’s head during the victory over the US and Black Ferns Tukuafu said they’re waiting to hear if she will face further punishment.
“Honestly, I’m not too sure,” Tukuafu said.
“I know there’s a judicial process but that’s yet to come to the team at least. So we’ll find out more. But for us, it’s just about getting around her and then knowing that our coaches are going to put things in place to make sure that we continue on our journey.”
Leadership churn has been occurring at the top of a $1.6 billion public safety project, with Tait Systems about to get its fourth chief executive this year.
Tait Systems New Zealand (TSNZ) is building a nationwide mobile radio network as part of the Public Safety Network (PSN) to connect emergency responders in floods and other major and minor disasters.
Ambulance, police and Fire and Emergency services are already using a stronger cellular network set up under PSN, but the digital radio part was running behind, and its budget last year hit Treasury’s ‘Top 10’ for reported cost pressures by value.
In January, TSNZ chief executive John Proctor stepped down. His successor Paul Hallowes then stepped down this month, and an interim chief executive Penny Hoogerwerf was in place while the company looked for a permanent replacement.
“I have stepped in as interim CEO to ensure stability and maintain momentum during the recruitment process,” Hoogerwerf told RNZ in a statement.
“As part of my role as Tait Systems board director, I have deep and longstanding knowledge of the programme, strong relationships with delivery partners, and immediate operational understanding.”
Work was continuing “at pace”, Hoogerwerf said.
The work came under the police-run Next Generation Critical Communications (NGCC) project.
NGCC director Steve Ferguson said its number one priority was ensuring TSNZ delivered the radio network.
“TSNZ has advised NGCC of their leadership changes and we continue to interact with them regularly and positively through comprehensive governance and programme management mechanisms,” Ferguson said in a statement.
In 2024 TSNZ, a subsidiary of Tait Communications, and Kordia ended a joint venture set up in 2022. Kordia kept doing some work for it.
“We have welcomed all initiatives and investment TSNZ has made to increase the pace of delivery since assuming full responsibility… from the previous vendor Tait Kordia Joint Venture,” said Ferguson.
That included setting up a wide network of contractors to acquire and build on sites for what was one of the world’s most complex builds using Project 25 technology that scrambled voice and data to encrypt it, he said.
The company had so far acquired about 300 of the 500 radio sites needed, and 161 were built on and ready for testing. Another 14 were under construction.
Hato Hone St John put 700 new radios into its national fleet late last year.
“The new Land Mobile Radio network is well and truly in sight,” Ferguson said at the time.
The latest Treasury quarterly investment report, to September 2025, said while 70 percent of the time set aside to build it had passed, only 24 percent of the budget had been spent, or $386m. It gave a completion date for the PSN of December 2026, now pushed back into 2027.
Hoogerwerf said TSNZ still benefited from having Proctor on its board, adding Hallowes had stepped down after many years with TSNZ and she thanked him for his contribution to the success of “this important project”.
It was “currently in the process of recruiting a new CEO to drive the intensive delivery” of the network which would be “rigorously tested and delivered into the hands of emergency services”.
New Zealanders will gather across the country on 25 April to mark Anzac Day 2026, coming together in remembrance of all those who have served the nation in times of war, conflict, and peace support operations.
This year’s Anzac Day holds particular significance following the modernisation of the Anzac Day Act, which affirms that Anzac Day commemorates all who have served New Zealand, including service beyond traditionally defined wars to encompass warlike conflicts, peacekeeping, and humanitarian operations.
Secretary for Culture and Heritage Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae says Anzac Day 2026 reflects an inclusive and evolving understanding of service and remembrance.
“Anzac Day remains one of the most significant days in our national calendar. It is a time when we honour all those who have served – those who did not return, those who carried their experiences home, and those who continue to serve today.
“I encourage people to attend their local services around Aotearoa New Zealand. For those in Te Whanganui-a-tara Wellington, join us at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park for the dawn service at 6am and the national commemoration service at 11am.”
Anzac Day 2026 also marks a moment of renewal at Pukeahu. For the first time since 2020, the National War Memorial Carillon will ring out again – with the bells tolled during the dawn and national commemoration services and a 30-minute carillon recital after each service.
“It will be very special to hear the voices of the fallen echo through the Carillon bells once again at Pukeahu. For generations, their sound has helped anchor remembrance for communities across Wellington and the country. Hearing them again this Anzac Day reconnects us with a powerful tradition,” says Leauanae.
TVNZ 1 and RNZ National will broadcast Anzac Day services.
As some residents were facing evacuations in the Bay of Plenty during Cyclone Vaianu, one man was racing towards it.
Matthew Davison has been chasing storms for around 20 years.
“For a number of years around New Zealand and across the world, when there is a big storm, a cyclone or a hurricane or a good lightning show, for example, I usually jump in the car and get as close as I possibly can to the action.”
Storm chasing refers to the practice of voluntarily going in search of severe weather, or to volcano eruptions.
The extreme nature of the phenomena is part of the appeal and storm chasers often document their trips with pictures or videos.
RNZ/Supplied
Ahead of Cyclone Vaianu’s landfall, Davison sought out the best spot to experience the worst of the weather.
“When I left Auckland, there was one red warning by the Met Service, and that was for the Coromandel.
“But I did check a lot of the really reputable weather models, and I noticed that there was a much severer potential for wind and gusts down in the Bay of Plenty region. So I made a decision to head down in that area.”
By the time he reached Whakatāne, MetService had issue a red warning for the area.
The Emergency Management of Bay of Plenty warns that going out in bad weather is dangerous and that going against guidance endangers the public and emergency responders. It urges people to take extreme events seriously.
Davison captured the strong winds and heavy rain on his camera, posting it online for free.
“It’s not done for money. It’s purely a hobby and it’s purely that I have a really keen interest in meteorology, weather and storms of course.”
He said he does it out of love for seeing “Mother Nature at her very, very worst”.
RNZ/Supplied
Cyclone Vaianu caused significant damage, power cuts and road closures. Gisborne was cut off from the rest of the island as parts of State Highway 2 and 35 were closed until midday on Monday. More than 3000 were left without power on Monday in the central North Island.
But Davison said he was aware of the risks that come with chasing storms, but he was also “very safe, very, very cautious.”
Part of his preparation involves extensively researching the storm and the conditions, such as flooding and slips, that it might bring. He wears safety goggles and helmets and drives a specially modified vehicle that has been tried and tested through many storms.
He stresses that he prepares a lot so as not to be a burden on emergency responders.
“Usually when I chase storms, there can often be landslides, floods, for example, which means that you might be stuck in one particular area.
“So there’s a lot of preparation around making sure that I have enough food and water and emergency supplies just to make sure that if I do get stuck, that I’ll be okay and I won’t be a burden on anyone to have to come and rescue me.”
He said he has never had to be rescued in any of the situations he has been in so far.
In fact, he said storms, he tried to help people in need as much as possible.
“We’re able to help stranded motorists, we’re able to work clearing roads with sometimes fallen trees. So there’s a whole bunch of additional work and effort that we can provide as storm chasers that can help the community.”
RNZ/Supplied
He said it’s important to remember parts of the country have been impacted even if it isn’t visible in some parts.
He’s witnessed flooding, landslides and evacuations over the weekend.
However, as much as he loves his hobby, he advises against others doing the same.
“I would never recommend anyone faces a storm.
“I would also say, I’ve got a lot of years of experience and I take very, very careful considerations around what I do and where I go.”
RNZ/Supplied
Safety warnings
A spokesperson for the Emergency Management of Bay of Plenty said storms of any size could pose a risk to people, property and livelihoods.
“The message is always put safety first, avoid travel, stay away from hazardous conditions (such as floodwater or storm surges), and keep updated so you can respond to change.
“With Cyclone Vaianu, the main message was also to stay home as the impacts were expected to be severe and potentially life threatening (especially on Sunday when the brunt of the cyclone was moving through the Bay of Plenty).
“When people ignore this advice, they are not only putting themselves at risk, but also the emergency services that may need to rescue them if they get into trouble.
“We would continue to remind people to take severe weather seriously and follow the guidance and direction of official agencies, such as civil defence, emergency services and local councils.”
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
Those who venture into Foul Air Cave, below Buchan township in eastern Victoria, quickly realise how it got its ominous name. In its deepest chambers, bacteria consume oxygen and excrete organic gases to produce a toxic stench.
The cave is also a natural pitfall trap. Its water-worn entrance offers no escape to any creature unlucky enough to tumble in. The smell of death clings to your nostrils as you navigate vertiginous drops and calf-deep, sucking mud.
Tens to hundreds of thousands of years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch, Foul Air Cave accumulated remains of diverse, often-giant mammals known collectively as Australia’s megafauna.
One of these mammals was the giant echidna Megalibgwilia owenii, as we report in a new paper published today in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. We recognised this extinct monotreme, twice the size of Australian echidnas today, from a newly identified fossil collected almost 120 years ago.
And the specimen is enough to verify for the first time that this species once roamed Ice Age Victoria, spanning a 1,000 kilometre gap in its previously known distribution.
Scores of ancient bones
The first scientific expeditions to Foul Air Cave were made in 1906–7 by Frank Palmer Spry who worked for what’s now called Museums Victoria, local caves curator Francis Moon, and geologist Thomas Sergeant Hall.
They were among the first to enter the cave. They encountered scores of fossil bones loosely buried in damp earth, including powerful, clawed mega-marsupial palorchestids and predatory marsupial “lions”.
They deposited their finds in the state collection, now housed at Melbourne Museum.
Over a century later, the fossils of Foul Air Cave have granted us a further insight into deep time.
Comparing fossil and modern echidna skulls. Left to right: Owen’s giant echidna (Megalibgwilia owenii); western long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijnii); short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus).Museums Victoria, CC BY
A robust creature
Previously described fossils of Megalibgwilia owenii derive from a handful of sites in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales. They’re sparse, too: one well-preserved skeleton, four skulls of varying completeness, and a range of isolated bones.
Together, they illustrate a robust mammal a metre long and weighing in at 15 kilograms – roughly as big as a four-year-old child.
The meaning of its name is straightforward. Mega-libgwil-ia joins the ancient Greek prefix “mega-”, meaning large or mighty, with “libgwil”, the name for the echidna in the language of the Wemba Wemba people of northern Victoria and south-eastern NSW.
We can combine this with the species epithet owenii (acknowledging prolific 19th century anatomist Sir Richard Owen) to coin a common name: “Owen’s giant echidna”.
Using its fossil remains as a guide, Owen’s giant echidna most resembled the long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus), which today occupies the wet tropical cloud forests of New Guinea. Its broad limbs and shoulders bore prominent bony scars indicating it was more heavily muscled than other monotremes. It also had a wide, long and straight untoothed beak, with bony ridges across its palate.
This suite of differences implies Megalibgwilia was adapted to a different lifestyle than its modern relatives. One can imagine it tearing to pieces fallen logs or digging hard soils to seek out moth and beetle larvae, rather than feeding on termites or earthworms.
[embedded content]
A fossil awaits its finder
Our new fossil came to light during the systematic documentation and maintenance of thousands of fossil bones, teeth, and skeletons preserved by Museums Victoria.
But even this obscure seven centimetre fragment of skull was sufficient to identify the unique proportions of M. owenii – especially when we examined material in museum collections across Australia.
As well as identifying the fossil, we also researched its connection to Foul Air Cave by drawing on collection notes, hand-drawn maps, diaries and public newspaper archives.
These historical ephemera established Spry as the fossil’s collector. And they inspired a return to the cave in his footsteps.
A sketched cross-section of Foul Air Cave made in 1906–7, showing original locations of fossil deposits.Museums Victoria, Author provided (no reuse)
Ready for re-examination
Spry and Moon wore their everyday outfits of breeches, jacket and waistcoat for their fossicking. They lit their path with candles or kerosene lamps, and entrusted their life to stiff, heavy nautical rope. The trained geologist Hall never ventured into the cave himself. Under those conditions, who would judge him?
By comparison, modern caving is a technical affair. Brilliant headlamps illuminate entire caverns. Heavy-duty nylon oversuits protect from skin-shredding rocky surfaces. And the climbing ropes and devices are strong enough to suspend a small car.
The collaboration between Spry, Moon and Hall combined an informed perspective, fluent local knowledge, and technical know-how to succeed. Despite obvious advances in technology and disciplinary knowledge, our success is rooted in the same foundation as theirs – curiosity and community spirit.
During my own investigations at Buchan, families spanning generations have shared local history and acted as subterranean guides. Parks Victoria rangers have facilitated and overseen work on public reserves. Recreational cavers from the Victorian Speleological Association have been a wellspring of enthusiastic support.
Descending the near-vertical passages of Foul Air Cave.Stella Nikolaevsky/Museums Victoria
The long residence of this specimen in Victoria’s state collection epitomises how, thanks to past work, palaeontological discoveries arise from “collection-based” fieldwork as often as investigations outdoors.
And if one illuminating specimen can lie unnoticed across a century, why not others?
Sparse fossil bones of large, slender echidnas, seemingly distinct from Megalibgwilia owenii, have been noted from Victoria and South Australia. These warrant re-examination to test if Owen’s giant echidna adapted to different conditions over space or time, or if another unknown species co-occupied the landscape.
If true, then surely one of its ancestors awaits recognition – either among the landscape or preserved carefully among the nation’s public scientific assets.
After the breakdown of ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran, President Donald Trump has now ordered a blockade of the pivotal Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.
It’s just the latest and most combustible phase of a broader regional conflict with global impacts and long, complex roots.
But while there has been copious analysis of this “coronary artery” of global oil and gas trade, much less attention has been paid to the history and sociopolitical fabric of the Hormuz region itself.
This is something of a blind spot, because understanding the deeper cultural dynamics of the strait and its surrounds can tell us something of what might now lie ahead.
Indeed, just as the 1956 Suez Crisis marked the eclipse of the old British Empire, the Hormuz crisis of 2026 may be remembered as a turning point for the US-led global order.
Origins of the oil monarchies
Great powers have long sought to control the Strait of Hormuz. Following the expulsion of the Portuguese in the early 17th century, imperial Britain evolved into the chief external power in the region over the next three-and-a-half centuries.
For much of this Pax Britannica commercial shipping through the strait – essential to links with Britain’s imperial territories in South Asia – faced attacks from local raiders in swift dhows that would emerge and quickly disappear into the complex and often foggy coastlines.
Not fully understanding the human and physical geography of the area, the British set out to closely map the coasts and populations. Based on this, Britain switched to co-opting certain tribes and sheikhs with financial incentives.
It also coordinated closely with the powerful sultan of Oman, who presided over an empire extending from the Persian Gulf to Zanzibar in east Africa, to tame the unruly populations of the Hormuz coastline.
This set the pattern of enriching local tribal rulers in the eastern Arabian peninsula that transformed into the contemporary oil monarchies in the 20th century.
The same tribes and clans that Britain privileged in the 19th century remain the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait (Saudi Arabia evolved more independently). The result was long-term secure passage for commercial oil and gas shipping through Hormuz.
When the US inherited security responsibility for the Persian Gulf from the British after 1971, by which time eastern Arabian states were granted formal independence, it focused on these existing ruling families. Other facets of the region’s complex human geography were neglected.
Strait of Hormuz and surrounding countries, with Oman’s governorate of Musandam in the centre.Getty Images
In parallel, local rulers on both sides of the Gulf constructed narrow nationalisms based on Arab Sunni Islamic (apart from Oman, which is partly Ibadi) and Persian Shi’a Islamic identities. The combined effect was an illusion of political and cultural homogeneity.
Despite this, highly diverse communities continue to live along both coasts. The northern coast of the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz is home to significant ethnic Arab and Baluchi communities, both of which have long had testy relations with the Persian-dominant Iranian state (as well as with Pakistan).
Even less well known are the populations of the southern coastlines of Hormuz, including Oman’s governorate of Musandam at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula jutting into the Gulf, forming the Strait of Hormuz.
Only directly reachable from the Omani mainland by ferry, it contains a complex archipelago of islands and precipitous fiords and is surrounded by the UAE to the south and west.
Some of the indigenous population speak a unique language called Kumzari, with Arabic and Persian elements. The island communities have lived for centuries, virtually unknown, in a deeply symbiotic relationship with the sea.
For example, Kumzaris’ primary reference for direction is not north, south, east or west, but simply upward (bāla) and downward (zērin) – as a fisherman would perceive the depths of the sea relative to the mountains.
When I visited in 2019, I noted how many Musandam residents seemed relatively uncommitted to their Omani nationality. Many even wore the Emirati dish dasha – the traditional white robes that mark out the separate nationalities of the Gulf states.
This explains the special treatment Musandam residents receive, including social welfare assistance not available in other governorates, as a means of keeping the population loyal to Muscat, the capital of Oman.
Local forces, global tensions
All of this has potential implications for the current crisis.
On one hand, the ideological legitimacy of the Iranian state has increasingly been hollowed out in the face of internal unrest and external attacks by Israel and now the US.
Power in Tehran has been whittled down to a narrow clique within the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. This weakening of state institutions opens the potential for sub-national identities, including those communities adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz, to crystallise and mobilise in the vacuum.
On the other hand, Oman is increasingly at odds with the UAE over Iran and the war. While the UAE is hawkish towards Tehran, Oman – long the Gulf’s most trusted neutral broker – has been implicated with Iran in a plan to establish a toll system for the Strait of Hormuz. Oman has denied this strenuously.
Ultimately, Oman’s control of the Musandam peninsula and its closeness to Iran create an uncomfortable tension with Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital.
The potential for the UAE to exploit local identity politics to try and bring the strategic Musandam peninsula under its own control is very real. Whether the US and other Gulf states would stand in the way is not clear.
Omani sensitivity to this possibility is extreme. At a university seminar I attended in Muscat in 2019, a map of the peninsula that failed to designate Musandam as part of Oman sparked a furious response from some in the audience.
More broadly, the fate of the Strait of Hormuz is emblematic of shifting world orders.
In 1956, Britain misread rising grassroots Arab nationalism and a changing world order as it sought to preserve its imperial lifelines through the Suez Canal. The risk for the US now is that it is making similar mistakes in the Strait of Hormuz, failing to adapt to local dynamics as the world changes again.
