AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 6, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Radio New Zealand

Note: The livestream with Finance Minister Nicola Willis starts at 1.30pm

Petrol and jet fuel stocks have risen, while there has been a slight decrease in diesel stocks.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment’s latest fuel stocks update showed that as at 11:59pm on Wednesday evening, there were 61.9 days of petrol, 51.5 days of diesel, and 50.1 days of jet fuel.

This is compared to 58.7 days of petrol, 52.2 days of diesel and 46.2 days of jet fuel, in the previous update.

MBIE said the update showed national fuel stocks were stable, with sufficient stock levels.

“Movements remain within expectations and show normal patterns,” the ministry said.

The update showed there were 27.2 days of petrol in-country, 17.5 days of diesel, and 25.5 days of jet fuel.

There were four ships on the water in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone, containing 3.2 days of petrol, 8.2 days of diesel, and 1.2 days of jet fuel.

A further twelve ships were on-water outside the EEZ, with 31.5 days of petrol, 25.8 days of diesel, and 23.4 days of jet fuel.

The government told media it remained gravely concerned about the trajectory of the Middle East conflict and its impact on the global economy, which shows no signs of ending.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis told media they hadn’t heard about any material problems from fuel importers, meaning the country could remain in phase one of its fuel crisis response.

The government is giving the latest update on fuel stocks, as the war in the Middle East shows no signs of ending.

Fuel prices have skyrocketed since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran at the end of February. Iran’s reaction to close off the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping has sent the global energy industry into turmoil.

New Zealand relies on imports of refined fuel, with no local refining capability.

The government has previously downplayed concerns of shortages, but has set up a National Fuel Plan with different levels of potential rationing should supplies begin to dry up.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis is expected to take questions at Parliament from 1.30pm – watch it live here (refresh the page if the video player is not showing).

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: Radio New Zealand

Note: The livestream with Finance Minister Nicola Willis starts at 1.30pm

The government is set to give the latest update on fuel stocks, as the war in the Middle East shows no signs of ending.

Fuel prices have skyrocketed since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran at the end of February. Iran’s reaction to close off the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping has sent the global energy industry into turmoil.

New Zealand relies on imports of refined fuel, with no local refining capability.

The government has previously downplayed concerns of shortages, but has set up a National Fuel Plan with different levels of potential rationing should supplies begin to dry up.

Overall stocks were down at the last update, but still within normal variation, officials said.

The latest update is expected from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment at 1pm Monday.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis is expected to take questions at Parliament from 1.30pm – watch it live here (refresh the page if the video player is not showing).

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: Radio New Zealand

Petrol and jet fuel stocks have risen, while there has been a slight decrease in diesel stocks.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment’s latest fuel stocks update showed that as at 11:59pm on Wednesday evening, there were 61.9 days of petrol, 51.5 days of diesel, and 50.1 days of jet fuel.

This is compared to 58.7 days of petrol, 52.2 days of diesel and 46.2 days of jet fuel, in the previous update.

MBIE said the update showed national fuel stocks were stable, with sufficient stock levels.

“Movements remain within expectations and show normal patterns,” the ministry said.

The update showed there were 27.2 days of petrol in-country, 17.5 days of diesel, and 25.5 days of jet fuel.

There were four ships on the water in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone, containing 3.2 days of petrol, 8.2 days of diesel, and 1.2 days of jet fuel.

A further twelve ships were on-water outside the EEZ, with 31.5 days of petrol, 25.8 days of diesel, and 23.4 days of jet fuel.

The government told media it remained gravely concerned about the trajectory of the Middle East conflict and its impact on the global economy, which shows no signs of ending.

Willis speaks to media

Finance Minister Nicola Willis told media the government hadn’t heard about any material problems from fuel importers, meaning the country could remain in phase one of its fuel crisis response.

“We’re continuing to work very closely with fuel importers on a daily basis to check with them whether they’re seeing any disruption to orders they already have, or to future orders. They continue to report that ships are leaving normally, that orders are being fulfilled and that they’re not having challenges,” she said.

Willis said fuel importing companies had given assurances that orders were not being cancelled or diverted to other countries.

“These are long standing customer relationships that they have with these businesses, and those businesses are seeking to be reliable. However, it is the case that we are anticipating there could be a scenario where those refinery companies are no longer able to fulfil orders, and they declare what’s called force majeure, they cancel a contract at short notice,” Willis said.

“It’s preparing for that potential eventuality that has prompted us to put the fuel response plan in place, and it’s why we are taking rapid measures to get increased amounts of fuel into the country so that we have more of a buffer should that occur.”

As the update is backward-looking, it does not include what the potential impacts of Easter weekend may have been on stocks.

Willis said there had been evidence of a big increase in demand in part of March, which had since calmed down as people first stocked up and then moved to other measures like car-pooling and public transport.

She had heard “a range of different anecdotes” about Easter usage, but not enough to have data to put to.

“In terms of what people have seen over Easter, I’m sure it is the case that some families have unfortunately put off road trips, chosen to stay close to home because of the price of fuel. And I will be looking at that data as soon as we have it, to understand how this Easter looks compared to last Easter,” she said.

“One of the areas that the fuel importing companies have agreed to cooperate with us more closely on in future is sharing that demand data, because obviously, if we were to move to a phase two, we’d want to know whether any restraint measures were having material impact. So having that data and monitoring it is going to be very useful for our work going forward.”

While it was unlikely the government would pause petrol taxes or road user charges, Willis said it was “very unlikely” the government would go ahead with a planned 12 cent per litre increase to fuel taxes next January.

While no formal decision had been made, the government would need to legislate in order to cancel the planned tax increase. Willis said it would mean the government had less revenue for road maintenance and construction, but it was conscious that New Zealanders could ill-afford an increase at this time.

No sign of war’s end

The government is giving the latest update on fuel stocks, as the war in the Middle East shows no signs of ending.

Fuel prices have skyrocketed since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran at the end of February. Iran’s reaction to close off the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping has sent the global energy industry into turmoil.

New Zealand relies on imports of refined fuel, with no local refining capability.

The government has previously downplayed concerns of shortages, but has set up a National Fuel Plan with different levels of potential rationing should supplies begin to dry up.

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: Radio New Zealand

Petrol and jet fuel stocks have risen, while there has been a slight decrease in diesel stocks.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment’s latest fuel stocks update showed that as at 11:59pm on Wednesday evening, there were 61.9 days of petrol, 51.5 days of diesel, and 50.1 days of jet fuel.

This is compared to 58.7 days of petrol, 52.2 days of diesel and 46.2 days of jet fuel, in the previous update.

MBIE said the update showed national fuel stocks were stable, with sufficient stock levels.

“Movements remain within expectations and show normal patterns,” the ministry said.

The update showed there were 27.2 days of petrol in-country, 17.5 days of diesel, and 25.5 days of jet fuel.

There were four ships on the water in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone, containing 3.2 days of petrol, 8.2 days of diesel, and 1.2 days of jet fuel.

A further twelve ships were on-water outside the EEZ, with 31.5 days of petrol, 25.8 days of diesel, and 23.4 days of jet fuel.

The government told media it remained gravely concerned about the trajectory of the Middle East conflict and its impact on the global economy, which shows no signs of ending.

Willis speaks to media

Finance Minister Nicola Willis told media the government hadn’t heard about any material problems from fuel importers, meaning the country could remain in phase one of its fuel crisis response.

“We’re continuing to work very closely with fuel importers on a daily basis to check with them whether they’re seeing any disruption to orders they already have, or to future orders. They continue to report that ships are leaving normally, that orders are being fulfilled and that they’re not having challenges,” she said.

Willis said fuel importing companies had given assurances that orders were not being cancelled or diverted to other countries.

“These are long standing customer relationships that they have with these businesses, and those businesses are seeking to be reliable. However, it is the case that we are anticipating there could be a scenario where those refinery companies are no longer able to fulfil orders, and they declare what’s called force majeure, they cancel a contract at short notice,” Willis said.

“It’s preparing for that potential eventuality that has prompted us to put the fuel response plan in place, and it’s why we are taking rapid measures to get increased amounts of fuel into the country so that we have more of a buffer should that occur.”

As the update is backward-looking, it does not include what the potential impacts of Easter weekend may have been on stocks.

Willis said there had been evidence of a big increase in demand in part of March, which had since calmed down as people first stocked up and then moved to other measures like car-pooling and public transport.

She had heard “a range of different anecdotes” about Easter usage, but not enough to have data to put to.

“In terms of what people have seen over Easter, I’m sure it is the case that some families have unfortunately put off road trips, chosen to stay close to home because of the price of fuel. And I will be looking at that data as soon as we have it, to understand how this Easter looks compared to last Easter,” she said.

“One of the areas that the fuel importing companies have agreed to cooperate with us more closely on in future is sharing that demand data, because obviously, if we were to move to a phase two, we’d want to know whether any restraint measures were having material impact. So having that data and monitoring it is going to be very useful for our work going forward.”

While it was unlikely the government would pause petrol taxes or road user charges, Willis said it was “very unlikely” the government would go ahead with a planned 12 cent per litre increase to fuel taxes next January.

While no formal decision had been made, the government would need to legislate in order to cancel the planned tax increase. Willis said it would mean the government had less revenue for road maintenance and construction, but it was conscious that New Zealanders could ill-afford an increase at this time.

No sign of war’s end

The government is giving the latest update on fuel stocks, as the war in the Middle East shows no signs of ending.

Fuel prices have skyrocketed since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran at the end of February. Iran’s reaction to close off the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping has sent the global energy industry into turmoil.

New Zealand relies on imports of refined fuel, with no local refining capability.

The government has previously downplayed concerns of shortages, but has set up a National Fuel Plan with different levels of potential rationing should supplies begin to dry up.

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: Radio New Zealand

Te Pāti Māori MP and the youngest New Zealand politician, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, has decided against attending an International Monetary Fund event in Washington DC due to global events and the struggle for people at home to pay for fuel.

She said she was honoured to be part of the event, but “that’s not where our priorities are at the moment”.

Maipi-Clarke was invited to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Young Global Parliamentarians Initiative, bringing together 12 young legislators from around the world.

It would look at redefining the relationship between parliaments and global economic institutions.

Maipi-Clarke had planned to attend but questioned how she could travel internationally knowing communities in New Zealand “can’t even afford to get down the road” with fuel prices as they were.

“It’s exciting that we’re having these conversations around what does stabilising our economies can look like, specifically for indigenous peoples, but right now, we have to be really real with ourselves.

“It’s often that indigenous peoples are the sacrifice to global economies, whether that be their resources, their land, their whenua, and often their labour,” she said.

What was going on in Iran and around the world, and how it was impacting fuel prices made her think twice.

Instead of travelling, she hosted an event in partnership with ANZ Bank for wāhine māori who owned small businesses on how they could get better resources and grow the Māori economy.

“Before we go to that international scale, I think we need to really focus on here at home, and so that’s been a really cool kaupapa to start and ignite,” she said.

Te Pāti Māori had been calling for “urgent key necessities” to be considered by the government to intervene now.

She said the party had looked at what previous governments had done in times of crisis, suggesting things like “freezing the RUCs, reducing GST off fuel, taking tax off fuel”, and also providing free transport and subsidies for rural communities and essential workers.

“Just some short term things that we could assist with right now, rather than $50,” she said, in reference to the government’s move to provide an extra $50 a week for low-to-middle-income workers with children.

This week the government also increased mileage rates for home and community support workers.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: New Zealand Government

Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Washington D.C. this week.   

“The current global context is the most challenging New Zealand has faced in the past 80 years,” Mr Peters says. 

“In times as complex as these, we highly value opportunities to meet face to face.”  

 While in Washington, Mr Peters will meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio among others. 

 “We intend to discuss our shared commitments to cooperate in the Pacific and Indo-Pacific, as well as significant international developments – particularly the conflict in the Middle East and its impacts on our region.” 

 “These meetings will advance New Zealand’s diplomatic, security and economic interests and facilitate greater mutual understanding of our respective priorities.” 

 Mr Peters leaves New Zealand later today (6 April) and returns on Friday (10 April).  

MIL OSI

Source: Media Outreach

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 6 April 2026 – SPEED (Sistem Perolehan Elektronik Dinamik), developed and operated by CDC International Sdn Bhd (CDCi), has won three industry awards in recognition of its contribution to digital procurement and enterprise software. The platform received two honours at the Malaysia National Business Awards 2026 and one at the Malaysia Technology Excellence Awards 2026, all presented by Asian Business Review. The awards were for Excellence Award – Computer Software, Initiative Award – Digital Transformation Consulting and Enterprise Software – Government Organisation.

The awards reflect SPEED’s growing role in helping government and institutional organisations modernise procurement through more structured and transparent digital systems, in line with the MADANI agenda’s emphasis on integrity, accountability and good governance. Its adoption by organisations such as FAMA, RISDA, MARA and PERKESO further underscores the platform’s growing relevance across diverse public sector and institutional settings.

SPEED is a digital procurement ecosystem comprising SPEED Procurement, SPEED eWorks and integrated Supplier Management capabilities. Designed to support end-to-end procurement processes within a structured and auditable environment, the platform helps strengthen oversight, supports audit readiness and addresses longstanding procurement challenges such as fragmented systems, manual workflows and limited visibility across supplier engagement.

Through a centralised approach, SPEED enables organisations to manage sourcing, evaluation, contract administration and reporting in a more systematic manner. Its implementation across agencies and institutional bodies has contributed to stronger compliance, improved process efficiency and more consistent governance through standardised workflows and consolidated data management.

The ecosystem further supports wider supplier participation through structured onboarding and profiling, helping to create a fairer and more transparent procurement environment.

Chief Executive Officer of CDC International, Putri Nurul Ida Yahya, said the recognition reflected the growing importance of digital procurement in strengthening governance across organisations.

“SPEED was built to help organisations manage procurement with greater clarity, discipline and accountability. As procurement requirements continue to evolve, our priority is to ensure the platform remains practical, consistent and responsive to those needs,” she said.

She added that CDCi would continue strengthening the platform to meet a wider range of institutional procurement requirements.

These recognitions mark another milestone for SPEED as CDCi continues expanding its role in digital procurement across institutional and public sector environments.

For more information, please visit speed2u.my or contact helpdesk@speed2u.my or +603 7885 4111.

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Hashtag: #SPEED

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– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Radio New Zealand

By AFP teams in Tehran, Jerusalem, Washington, Beirut, Dubai and Sanaa

Iran launched a hunt for the US crew whose jet Iranian media said had been shot down by the Islamic republic’s air defence systems Friday, deploying troops and offering a bounty.

US media reported US special forces had rescued one of the two crew members, and a local official television station in southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province aired footage of what it said was wreckage of the downed plane.

The war started more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering retaliation that spread the conflict throughout the Middle East, convulsing the global economy and impacting millions of people worldwide.

US Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for military operations in the Middle East, did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on what would be the first known loss of a jet inside Iran since Trump ordered the war.

“Dear and honourable people of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, if you capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them over to the police and military forces, you will receive a valuable reward and bonus,” said an Iranian television reporter on the official local channel.

The report of the downed jet came as fresh strikes hit Israel, Iran, Lebanon and Gulf countries.

Meanhwile, large blasts rocked northern Tehran, an AFP journalist said. Israel said it had launched a wave of strikes in the Iranian capital, alongside parallel attacks in Beirut.

Blown-out windows

Earlier, Israel’s military reported a new missile salvo from Iran, activating its air defences.

Strikes by all sides have increasingly targeted economic and industrial sites, raising fears of wider disruption to global energy supplies.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the US military “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!”, after US strikes damaged Iran’s tallest bridge.

In the area around the bridge, in Karaj, west of Tehran, an AFP reporter saw a villa and residential buildings with blown-out windows – but no military installations.

According to the deputy governor of Alborz province, the attack killed eight civilians and wounded 95 others.

About 70 percent of Iran’s steel production capacity has been taken out, Israel said Friday.

In Abu Dhabi, Iran’s neighbour across the Gulf, metal giant Emirates Global Aluminium meanwhile said it could take up to a year before it can resume full production, after its site was damaged by Iranian strikes.

Ex-FM urges peace deal

Writing in the US journal Foreign Affairs, Iran’s former top diplomat said that Tehran should make a deal with the United States to end the war by offering to curb its nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief.

Iran has virtually blocked the key waterway since the war began, where in peace time one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passes through.

Of the few ships that have managed to cross, most have had links to Iran, with sixty percent of commodity-bearing ships crossing the strait either coming from Iran or heading there, an AFP analysis of maritime data showed.

In the first known transit by a major European shipping group since 1 March, the Maltese-flagged Kribi, belonging to the French maritime transport group CMA CGM, crossed the strait to exit the Gulf on Thursday, according Marine Traffic data analysed by AFP.

Three other ships, including one co-owned by a Japanese company, crossed Thursday, as commodities carriers see a 94 percent drop in traffic compared to peace time, according to data from business analysts Kpler.

Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari warned that, in response to Trump’s threats to attack infrastructure, Iran would increase its own attacks on energy sites in the region.

A drone attack on a refinery owned by Kuwait’s national oil company on Friday sparked fires at several of its units, state media said.

Later, an Iranian attack damaged a power and desalination complex, Kuwait’s water and electricity ministry said.

In Abu Dhabi, a gas complex shut after a fire broke out, following an attack that resulted in “falling debris” upon interception, the government media office said.

Trump wants bigger defence budget

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said Friday it had struck more than 3500 targets across Lebanon in the month since fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

It added it would attack two bridges in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa region “in order to prevent the transfer of reinforcements and military equipment”.

Lebanon’s health ministry said on Thursday that 1345 people had been killed – and 4040 wounded – since the start of the war, including 1129 men, 91 women and 125 children. Among those are 53 healthcare workers.

Hezbollah has so far not announced its losses.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said a blast wounded three peacekeepers, the third such incident in a week.

A UNIFIL spokesperson said the origin of the explosion was unknown.

The war’s economic impact is rippling far beyond the Middle East, as energy and oil costs surge.

At a protest in Lahore, Pakistan, over fuel price hikes, Naveed Ahmed, 39, told AFP: “The government, overnight, has dropped a ‘petrol bomb’ on its people.”

Meanwhile, the White House on Friday sent a spending proposal to lawmakers calling for a massive hike to the US defence budget.

It remains to be seen what Congress will ultimately approve, but US media reported the $1.5 trillion budget request – a 42 percent hike – would be the largest year-on-year increase in Pentagon spending since World War II.

– AFP

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Media Outreach

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 April 2026 – Activate Interactive Pte Ltd (“Activate Interactive”), a Singapore-based technology consultant, has launched CloudBox by Activate Interactive (“Cloudbox”), its first major proprietary enterprise cloud platform designed to simplify, secure, and accelerate cloud adoption for enterprises and government agencies in Singapore and the region.

Designed to meet and comply with Singapore government’s IM8 cloud security standards, ISO 27001 and the Data Protection Trustmark (DPTM) framework for accountable data protection requirements, the platform reflects Activate Interactive’s engineering-led approach to developing compliant, modular, and future-ready infrastructure aligned with the nation’s stringent digital standards.

Engineering Cloud Confidence Through Expertise

CloudBox reflects the company’s deep expertise in cloud engineering and secure infrastructure design. Built from the ground up as an enterprise-grade cloud platform, it provides organisations with the assurance that their cloud environments are secure, compliant, and scalable from initial deployment.

First launched internally in September 2025 to support Activate Interactive’s own projects, the solution has since matured into a robust platform ready for broader market adoption. It delivers end-to-end infrastructure automation through pre-validated blueprints and embedded compliance frameworks, enabling faster and more consistent deployments across complex environments.

“Cloud transformation often stalls at the intersection of innovation and compliance,” said Joel Chin, Chief Executive Officer of Activate Interactive. “CloudBox is engineered to remove that friction by embedding governance, compliance control and secure architecture directly into the platform. This allows organisations – from startups and SMEs to large enterprises in highly regulated industries such as telecommunications and financial services to deploy Singapore government-like environments that are secure, compliant and architecturally consistent from day one, while accelerating deployment and reducing audit overhead.”

Raising the Bar for Secure and Scalable Infrastructure

The latest enhancements to the platform include a redesigned blueprinting engine that supports parallel dependency execution and multi-account orchestration for large-scale operations. These improvements enable CloudBox to provision environments faster, while maintaining architectural consistency and strengthening security controls.

With its streamlined automation framework, CloudBox can now provision a secure cloud infrastructure in as few as five days, 60 percent faster than traditional cloud deployments, significantly accelerating go-to-market timelines for digital initiatives.

Built-in unified compliance frameworks further simplify security governance, audits, and resource management, saving organisations up to two to three weeks per application while ensuring consistent adherence to regulatory and enterprise standards.

Security is embedded from inception. The platform applies least-privilege practices and
IM8-inspired guardrails, delivering built-in protection from the initial deployment stage. Compliance is integrated directly into blueprint design through DPTM-aligned and
residency-aware defaults that support data sovereignty requirements.

Additional capabilities such as automated drift detection, lifecycle monitoring, and immutable audit trails reinforce security across the platform’s lifecycle. An extensibility layer with APIs, event-driven hooks, and policy-injection points enables organisations to customise deployments according to their specific governance requirements.

By reducing reliance on manual configuration and manpower involvement, CloudBox enables leaner operations and lowers engineering dependency, achieving operational cost savings of up to 65 percent.

Addressing Real-World Enterprise Challenges

Organisations managing complex, multi-environment infrastructure face mounting regulatory and operational challenges. CloudBox is designed to deliver consistent, secure, and predictable deployment in environments where compliance and scalability are crucial.

Key capabilities include:

• Data Residency Control: Region-locked provisioning and DPTM-aligned deployments that support local regulatory requirements.
• Modular Deployment: Incremental adoption of network, security, and compute modules for seamless integration into existing environments.
• Governance and Standardisation: Consistent architectural patterns across teams, reducing configuration drift and audit overhead.
• Cost Predictability: Built-in controls that support region-aware resource management and predictable scaling.

The platform’s self-service portal further streamlines environment setup with pre-secured, compliant configurations that reduce manual effort and accelerate provisioning.

Strategic Expansion across Southeast Asia

As part of its regional growth strategy, Activate Interactive has formed a strategic partnership with Inphosoft, an IT solutions and services provider in Indonesia, to expand the reach of its enterprise cloud platform across Southeast Asia. The collaboration brings local expertise to support customised deployments that meet market-specific regulatory requirements.

Activate Interactive is also exploring opportunities to extend CloudBox into the Middle East in 2026.

Governance, Compliance, and Trust by Design

Activate Interactive operates under an Information Security Management System aligned with ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ensuring a structured approach to risk management, regulatory compliance, and continual improvement across all projects.

Through DevSecOps practices such as automated security testing, routine risk vulnerability assessments, and close collaboration with agencies, including GovTech Singapore, Activate Interactive maintains alignment with evolving cybersecurity requirements and upholds a consistent standard of trust and governance.

A Milestone for Activate Interactive’s Engineering Culture

The launch of CloudBox marks a strategic milestone for Activate Interactive, marking its evolution from a technology implementation partner to a product-driven innovator delivering enterprise-grade digital infrastructure solutions.

The platform underscores Activate Interactive’s commitment to shaping the digital backbone of enterprises and government agencies across the region.

https://www.activate.sg/
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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Radio New Zealand

The primary teachers’ union says there have been gains in the deal its members accepted following drawn out bargaining, despite the salary settings being the same as an earlier offer.

Educational Institute Te Riu Roa primary teacher members agreed to a 2.5 percent pay rise with a further 2.1 percent in January next year.

Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the pay increase was the same as was offered in December and the delay had cost primary teachers about $550 each.

NZEI Te Riu Roa primary teacher leader and bargaining team member Barb Curran said if the ministry had made the new offer earlier, a settlement could have been reached sooner.

She said there were gains in the final deal, including an increase to the camp allowance, funds for training and parity with secondary school teachers over allowances for extra duties.

“We will finally at the very end of the term of this have our management units be worth the same as a secondary unit. That’s been a point of contention for some time and an anomaly that no-one could satisfactorily explain.”

The value of a unit would increase from $4500 to $5250 by October 2028.

Around 60 percent of teachers qualified for extra duty payments, Curran said.

“We’re also pleased we’ve got some opportunity for our relievers to do some professional learning and development – you could argue that should be business as usual, that the government would be providing professional learning for all teachers, but our relievers have been missing out, so we’re pleased for them.”

The union had hoped to negotiate a payment to acknowledge the extra work involved in implementing the new curriculum but was unsuccesful, she said.

“We had hoped for some sort of recognition of that work. Primary principals received a lump sum to recognise that work towards the curriculum changes, and we were hoping primary teachers who were actually in the classroom doing the work would be offered something to recognise that.”

Curran said it was frustrating the pay offer was below inflation, especially when there were huge increases in costs around fuel that were seeping into other areas.

“But our members have made the decision, so we’ll move on. We have other things we need to work towards in the education sector.”

It had been a long, difficult bargaining period, including scathing public critiques of teachers by senior government ministers and an unprecedented offer to non-union members ahead of settlement, Curran said.

The union requested Employment Relations Authority intervention over the stalled pay talks earlier this year after rejecting a mediated offer it described as mostly unchanged from the rejected December offer.

Following facilitated bargaining, a proposed settlement was put to NZEI members late last month.

Under the terms of the settlement, teachers on the top two steps of the salary scale would receive a cumulative pay increase of 4.7 percent by January next year.

This meant teachers at the top of the pay scale would see their base salary increase to $107,886 per annum.

Teachers moving up the pay scale would continue to receive annual increases along with a cumulative 4.6 percent pay increase by January next year.

Secondary teachers accepted a similiar deal in December and primary school principals accepted an offer in February.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand