An experienced New Zealand women’s hockey team’s been named for the defence of their FIH Nations Cup title in Auckland next month.

Head coach Phil Burrows has confirmed 20 players in the squad, including one new cap, Ruby Baker, 22, who played for New Zealand A, in a four-team international tournament in Dunedin in January.

“For our group, it’s a valuable pressure tournament leading into the World Cup later this year, especially as defending champions with the expectations that come from playing at home,” said Burrows.

“It’s also a special moment for Ruby Baker, who has thoroughly earned the opportunity to make her debut in front of a home crowd.”

The squad also features the return of several key players who missed last year’s Nations Cup success in Chile, when the Black Sticks beat Ireland in the final in a penalty shootout, including defenders Ella Hyatt-Brown, Liz Thompson, Mille Calder and Tessa Reid.

Former Netherlands under-21 rep, Christchurch born, Josephine Murray has also been selected, as she continues to solidify her place in the New Zealand set up.

The tournament will take place between 15-21 June, and feature eight teams in what is the country’s biggest international hockey event in nearly a decade.

The other teams taking part are India, Japan, the United States, Uruguay, Chile, France and South Korea.

“It’s an exciting time for hockey in New Zealand. Opportunities to host international tournaments on home soil don’t come around often, so it’s a great occasion for both the players and fans, said Burrows.

Black Sticks Women squad:

Anna Crowley, Britt Wang, Casey Crowley, Ella Hyatt-Brown, Emma Findlay, Grace O’Hanlon, Hannah Cotter, Hannah Gravenall, Holly Pearson, Josephine Murray, Julia Gluyas, Kaitlin Cotter, Liz Thompson, Mezzy Surridge, Millie Calder, Olivia Shannon, Paige Blake, Riana Pho, Ruby Baker, Tessa Reid.

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

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

Air Corporate data reveals 9 in 10 founders incorporated in Hong Kong do so remotely, driven by a 20% surge in Middle Eastern entrepreneurs seeking cost-effective operational alternatives to Dubai.

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

National grid operator Transpower will not be prosecuted after all over the toppling of a pylon that cut power to about 90,000 homes and businesses across Northland.

The Electricity Authority lodged a formal complaint against Transpower last year, alleging the state-owned company had breached the Electricity Industry Participation Code by not maintaining its assets in line with best industry practice.

The pylon, at Glorit, north of Auckland, fell over during routine maintenance in June 2024 after contractors removed the nuts from three of its legs at once.

Transpower could have been fined up to $2 million if a breach had been proven.

However, on Thursday the Electricity Authority said Transpower had since provided new evidence, and an international expert had found Transpower met the required standards.

As a result, the Electricity Authority had dropped its complaint – but it was now considering whether the standards needed to be changed, or whether a different approach was needed to “reflect New Zealand’s specific circumstances”.

In particular, the current code did not apply to outside contractors, such as the French-owned company Omexom, which was working on the pylon at the time.

The authority said it was “considering whether the concept of good electricity industry practice is fit for purpose, including in circumstances where industry participants may contract out significant parts of their functions”.

Meanwhile, Transpower welcomed the authority’s decision to drop the complaint.

Executive general manager grid delivery Mark Ryall said it confirmed the company’s position that its processes and systems were “consistent with good industry practice”.

“An independent report found the tower fall was caused by a crew working for our service provider failing to follow approved processes and procedures. It also highlighted that, despite strong systems and oversight, human error can still occur.”

Ryall said the tower fall should never have happened, and apologised for the impact on people and businesses in Northland.

Since then Transpower had strengthened its oversight of service providers, to make sure their practices were robust and their crews had the correct skills and training.

“We continue to work hard with our service providers to improve our practices to ensure that we can prevent an incident like this happening again,” Ryall said.

A report ordered by then Energy Minister Simeon Brown shortly after the accident made 26 recommendations for Transpower, Omexom, the Electricity Authority and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

All 19 recommendations for Transpower have since been carried out.

In November last year Sydney-based law firm Piper Alderman started class action against Transpower and Omexom on behalf of the roughly 20,000 businesses affected by the outage.

The firm did not specify how much money it was seeking, but economic consultants Infometrics estimated businesses had lost $60 million as a result of the power cut while the Northland Chamber of Commerce put the figure at $80m.

In the months after the collapse, Northland’s Chamber of Commerce and local MP Grant McCallum pushed hard for compensation from Transpower and Omexom.

Eventually, the companies agreed to give $500,000 each to a “resilience fund” supporting projects with long-term benefits for Northland.

About 180,000 people were affected by the outage.

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Moana Pasifika is not the only club facing closure since the Super Rugby Pacific competition kicked off in 2022.

The Melbourne Rebels suffered a similar fate at the end of the 2024 season, which reduced the then-12-team competition to 11.

There are calls for changes to mitigate what many believe is the growing risk of the competition going under.

Last weekend’s New Zealand Rugby (NZR) annual general meeting (AGM) heard all five of New Zealand’s franchises – the Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Highlanders, and Hurricanes – were bleeding money in 2025.

Moana Pasifika, which could be called the financially weakest of all the clubs, was doomed to follow the Rebels into oblivion for many reasons.

That reality was announced last month, with funders and current licence holders, the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA), announcing they were backing out because of financial challenges.

This decision comes after extensive consideration of the financial, operational and strategic realities facing the franchise, as well as professional rugby in New Zealand.

Moana Pasifika said on 15 April, that despite the tireless dedication of players, staff, and supporters, it is no longer viable to continue the franchise at this level of competition.

“This is one of the hardest decisions we have ever made. We are immensely proud of our players, staff, and the community who have supported our team over the years,” Moana Pasifika chair Dr Kiki Maoate said.

“Across our rugby, pathways and community programmes, we have been able to support a growing hub of Pacific talent across multiple sporting codes, both locally and in the Pacific region. This is something we are extremely proud of and will continue to support and advocate for as best we can.

“Our commitment now is to ensure a smooth transition for everyone affected and to celebrate our legacy by finishing the season strong.”

The Moana Pasifika Charitable Trust was founded by Savae La’auli Sir Michael Jones KNZM and Tuifa’asisina Sir Bryan Williams KNZM in 2021, with a mission to create the first professional Pacific rugby team.

It is that ‘Trust’ model which is now believed to have been a downfall that has limited the franchise’s ability to secure long-term funding from sponsors.

World Rugby and NZR both stepped in the initial stages, but both organisations have stated publicly they will not do that now, leaving the club and its owners to either stay firm on their decision to close or sell to interested buyers.

Enter Kanaloa Consortium – backed by a number of Pasifika heritage former All Blacks.

Kanaloa’s CEO Tracy Atiga said they have been given until 15 May – tomorrow – to send in their proposal to NZR to save Moana Pasifika for disbanding.

She has also said that part of that NZR agreement is for Kanaloa to get the support of both PMA and the New Zealand Rugby Players Association (NZRPA).

She has been outspoken about what she calls unsupportive stance taken by both the PMA and the NZRPA who had, as she claimed, shown no interest in getting Kanaloa’s proposal or bid supported.

However, both PMA and Moana Pasifika chief executive Debbie Sorensen and NZRPA’s Rob Nichol have stated that Kanaloa should send their proposal to NZR, if they were serious about their bid.

Kanaloa, which was known to many until the revelation that Moana Pasifika was going to close, had initially sent a proposal to PMA’s Sorensen last year but did not get any response, and had also bid for a franchise license in 2020/2021 but were also unsuccessful.

A point of interest: Kanaloa threatened to sue NZR in November 2020, because they claimed the union breached its own rules by granting Moana Pasifika a licence, even though the new franchise did not properly participate in the tender process.

Anyway, NZR has also stated they are open to discuss any proposal that would save Moana Pasifika.

“NZR is open to receiving proposals that present a long-term and sustainable plan for Moana Pasifika,” a NZR spokesman said, adding “that opportunity is available for the next few weeks”.

For Kanaloa that period ends on Friday.

‘The model doesn’t work’

It is going to be telling to see how things play out in the next few days and week.

Media reports in Aotearoa say that reports tabled at the NZR AGM indicate all five of New Zealand’s teams made losses last year and the private equity investors who hold varying stakes in those teams have called for changes, including a possible move to full private ownership.

“When we got involved, we knew the Hurricanes were losing money. The model doesn’t work,” Malcolm Gillies, a co-owner of the Wellington-based Hurricanes, told the Rugby Direct podcast.

“Unless there’s change, it’s not going to work. You’ve got five franchises in New Zealand and none of them are making a lot of money. The whole system has to change.

Gillies believes the competition in its current form is unsustainable.

“If it stays the way it is now, I fear for it. If there’s change then I believe we’ve got a product. But if it doesn’t, I believe it’s going to die. That’s my honest opinion.”

NZR contracts and retains control over Super Rugby Pacific players under the current system.

Full private ownership would follow the England and France situation, where clubs directly contract the players.

Moana Pasifika players basically come under the Pacific Rugby Players (PRP) association, which has stated their ultimate focus is making sure players’ welfare are looked after.

It is their number one job, chairman Valentine Tauamiti told RNZ Pacific this week.

So right now, PRP will request discussions on any proposal they see might fit the bill. Thus, their request to NZR that the Kanaloa bid gets discussed.

While Atiga and Kanaloa have yet to send their proposal through, a number of things needs to be verified:

• How has their management record been? Has Kanaloa successfully managed sports teams to the magnitude of a Super Rugby franchisee in the past?

Records show Kanaloa had tried to get into the Major Rugby League in the USA three years ago also but failed. But Atiga is confident they have the money, the experience and the people to fund and manage Moana Pasifika, fulfilling all the requirements that needs to be met, with international player fees paid out on top of players’ contracts.

• Do they have a viable and sustainable business plan?

The reality on the ground is Super Rugby clubs need more than NZ$15 million to survive annually. And there is no guarantee ticket sales, TV rights and sponsorship endorsements will meet that need annually. Atiga and Kanaloa believe their model will work and ensure financial safety going forward.

• Will Kanaloa be able to have security, or guarantee, that would cover the costs if the franchise folds?

This is a critical factor that would need to be part of any sale agreement. Buyers must prove they have the added security, in the form of a building or assets, that can be used to meet the financial demands, ensuring there are no debts left when a franchise folds. RNZ Pacific understands this is one area both the PRP and the NZRPA demand as being part of any proposal.

RNZ Pacific has been reliably informed that the PMA is selling its Christchurch building, the Maoate House, which is now on the market.

Sorensen has been asked to confirm the sale, but it is believed that is being done as part of the funding agreement when the PMA took up Moana Pasifika.

Moana Pasifika has two more games to go this season, one at home next weekend and the other away in Australia.

Whether those two matches will be their last as a Super Rugby Pacific team – or the start of a revamp – is anyone’s guess right now.

One thing is clear: NZR and the stakeholders involved will need to act fast if Moana Pasifika is to be saved.

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

Health NZ has confirmed one of the New Zealanders on board a cruise ship struck by hantavirus does not usually live in New Zealand.

One New Zealand citizen left the ship before the hantavirus outbreak was revealed, while another disembarked on Monday and is now being quarantined in Australia.

Director of Public Health Dr Corina Gray said the first New Zealander to leave the ship was in fact a dual national and did not live in New Zealand.

“We can confirm New Zealand authorities have been in contact with a dual New Zealand national, not normally resident in New Zealand, who has been exposed to hantavirus,” she said in a statement.

“On Thursday last week, New Zealand authorities alerted the public health services where this person normally resides. We have also alerted health partners in the country where this person is currently located.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was in contact with the person.

“We are providing consular assistance to a dual national who ordinarily resides outside New Zealand, who has sought help from MFAT today.”

On Tuesday, the ABC reported the Australian Federal Health Minister Mark Butler as saying the Kiwi due to quarantine in Perth with five Australians was in “good health” and “relatively good spirits” despite the situation.

Three passengers on board the ship – a Dutch couple and a German national – have died after contracting the virus.

As of Tuesday, Butler told the ABC that a French national – also from the cruise – was in critical condition in hospital after testing positive for the virus.

What is hantavirus?

Hantavirus is typically spread by the inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings.

This particular strain, the Andes virus, is endemic to Argentina, and is the only strain of hantavirus that has been known to have human to human transmission – typically through very close contact such as sharing a bed or food.

Its symptoms typically include fever, headache, muscle aches and gastrointestinal symptoms.

No vaccines or specific treatments exist for hantavirus, but quick hospital care can often prevent symptoms turning deadly.

Hantaviruses are found in small mammals such as rats, mice, voles, shrews and lemmings, but no New Zealand rodents carry these viruses, University of Auckland associate professor of infectious diseases Dr Mark Thomas said.

“The only way a New Zealand resident could become unwell with a hantavirus infection would be as the result of travel to a country where the virus is present.”

WHO has said the investigations so far suggest possible exposure to rodents during bird watching activities.

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

Three-time America’s Cup winner Blair Tuke won’t be a part of the on-water crew for next week’s America’s Cup preliminary regatta in Sardinia.

Tuke, who won the cup in 2017, 2021 and 2024, will instead be involved in Team New Zealand’s onshore development.

A release from the team said Tuke would continue to transition into a more executive and strategic role, focused on the speed development of Taihoro and performance of the sailing team in the lead up to the America’s Cup defence in Naples in 2027.

“I am really excited by the challenge of transitioning into another phase of my career within a team I have had such success with,” Tuke said in the statement.

“The team as a whole is under no illusions as to how tough a fourth straight defence will be, so playing my part and utilising my experience will hopefully continue to contribute to its ongoing success.”

Tuke formed a formidable partnership with skipper Peter Burling in their Americas Cup successes, in trimmer/flight controller roles

Burling left Team New Zealand just over a year ago, later saying [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/579918/peter-burling-says-control-team-new-zealand-wanted-over-him-was-just-crazy it wanted to exert too much control over him.

New Zealand will have two crews competing in Sardinia in two AC40s.

The number one boat will have the helming duties shared by skipper Nathan Outteridge and 20-year-old Seb Menzies, and will feature trimmers Andy Maloney and Iain Jensen.

The second development boat will have Erica Dawson and Jake Pye take the dual-helm positions, joined by trimmers Serena Woodall and Josh Armit.

The eight-boat fleet has dual entries from New Zealand, Great Britain and Luna Rossa, alongside single-boat entries from La Roche-Posay Racing of France and Team Alinghi from Switzerland.

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

Sir Graham Henry wants to bring a simplistic approach to the table as he returns to the All Blacks fold as a selector.

Head coach Dave Rennie confirmed on Tuesday that Henry would join him and assistant coach Neil Barnes as selectors, with the All Blacks having their first test of the year against France in Christchurch’s new Te Kaha Stadium on 4 July.

Henry, 79, said one of the things he had learned during his coaching career, which included a Rugby World Cup title with the All Blacks in 2011, was sharing responsibility with the players.

That involves “everybody being on the same page and spending the time to ensure that happens so that everybody feels comfortable with what they’re trying to do”, he told Morning Report.

“I think that’s the key, giving players additional responsibility and ownership, and the more ownership they have, I think, the better they play. That’s how we approached it 20 years ago.”

The sport appears different now, but Henry said the same approach should ring true.

“I haven’t been in a coaching group for some time. It appears to be more complicated. And maybe that’s more difficult, but simplicity is key, I think. The more simple we can keep the game, I think the better the boys will play,” Henry said.

“The pressure is even greater today because the athletes are bigger and faster, so you’ve got less time to make decisions. The simplicity of what you’re trying to do is key, so that you actually can function. If it gets too complex, it makes it extremely difficult.”

Henry said the selectors had an extensive list of players to consider. “The competition for the All Black team is very real, and there’s a lot of very good players, and there’s going to be some very good players who don’t get selected, which is a healthy situation, but difficult for them, obviously.”

He said it was tough leaving players out. “But that’s the job, isn’t it. So you’ve just got to do your best. And I think making sure that you select correctly is a very important part of the side playing the best it can play.”

Henry coached Wales from 1998 to 2002 and the British and Irish Lions in 2001, before being All Blacks head coach from 2004-11. His record with the All Blacks was 88 wins from 103 tests. More recently, he was involved with the Black Ferns set-up during their World Cup winning campaign in 2022.

He gave an insight into the role of a selector, saying there was a huge amount of statistical information now available on players compared to his time with national side, but that was a back-up to the main job.

“At the end of the day, you watch players play, and if you watch them for a long time – you don’t watch the game when you’re selecting, you just watch the individuals – you get a very good sense of whether they can do the job or not,” he said.

Players could be observed over an extensive period of time. “You know by viewing them whether they can put it in at the next level.”

Henry said he hadn’t missed the pressure of being involved at the top level, but was “very humbled” to be asked by Rennie and excited by the opportunity.

“I love the game. I think the game has got some challenges right now, so I’d like to try and help improve the game in this country, if I can.”

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

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

Hollywood should be ashamed of the way it has treated stars like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo for opposing Israel’s war in Gaza, a member of the Cannes Film Festival jury said, with big studios conspicuously absent this year.

Paul Laverty, who wrote two films that won Cannes’ top prize, was cheered as he lambasted the studios and praised the French festival for using an image of Sarandon in “Thelma and Louise” for its poster this year.

“Isn’t it fascinating to see Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo blacklisted because of their views in opposing the murder of women and children in Gaza? Shame on Hollywood, people who do that,” the Scottish-born writer, who was arrested last year at a pro-Palestine protest, added.

“They’re the best of us,” said Laverty, who won best screenplay at Cannes for Ken Loach’s “I, Daniel Blake” and “The Wind that Shakes the Barley”.

“I just hope we don’t get bombed now,” he joked.

Sarandon was dropped by her US agents and accused of antisemitism in 2023 after she told a pro-Palestinian rally in New York that people “afraid of being Jewish at this time are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence”.

She said earlier this year that her outspoken stance on Gaza made it “impossible for me to even be on television”, never mind work in Hollywood.

But left-winger Laverty made an impassioned plea for filmmakers not to shy away from politics “when madmen lead the blind”, quoting Shakespeare’s “King Lear”.

Laverty did not mention US leader Donald Trump, but his presidency and the war in Gaza have hung heavy over film festivals over the last few years.

South Korea director Park Chan-wook, who heads the jury awarding the Palme d’Or, the top prize at Cannes, also defended the place of politics in film.

“Art and politics are not concepts that are in conflict with each other. As long as they are artistically expressed, they are valuable,” said the maker of “Oldboy” and “The Handmaiden”.

With Meta, the owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, signing a multi-year sponsorship deal with Cannes, Laverty also warned about “the concentration of power” by Big Tech.

“We are beginning to realise that we should not let these tech bros billionaires, mostly right-wing libertarians, dictate how we live our lives,” he added, with artificial intelligence another hot topic at the festival.

Hollywood star Demi Moore, who is also on the jury, said she was also sceptical of AI’s place in the industry, though not against it.

“There is nothing to fear because one can never replace what true art comes from, because it comes from the soul,” she told reporters.

– AFP

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

A hantavirus “contact” case has been quarantined in Pitcairn after a short transit in Tahiti over the weekend, French Polynesia’s local government says.

Arriving from San Francisco, the passenger, described as a US citizen, had briefly transited in Tahiti and Mangareva on 7 May 2026 (local time) “without neither local authorities nor the French State being informed”.

When local authorities became aware of the situation, French Polynesia’s government said they held an emergency meeting.

“The person concerned does not present any (hantavirus) symptom and is presently isolated in quarantine in Pitcairn,” the government said in a statement on Monday.

“She will not leave Pitcairn Island to transit via French Polynesia as long as she presents a potential risk to others.”

The statement said the government would continue to closely monitor the situation over the next five days regarding the evolution of the person’s condition.

• What exactly is the hantavirus outbreak and how worried should we be?

Meanwhile, French Polynesia and France stand “ready to support Pitcairn in the coming days, should the need arise”.

Pitcairn Island, located East of French Polynesia, is a British Overseas Territory in the Pacific, with an estimated population of less than 50.

Most residents are descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers who settled there in 1790.

Returning from a cruise that started on the southernmost tip of South America [Ushuaia (Argentina) to Cape Verde], the passengers were transferred by boat to the island of Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands on 10 May.

Three people have died since the outbreak, and five passengers (who left the cruise ship MV Hondius before the outbreak was declared) have been confirmed to have been infected with hantavirus.

One of five French people flown back to France is showing symptoms of hantavirus, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Monday.

The infected case has since developed symptoms that later required intensive care, but have since stabilised.

“One of them showed symptoms in the repatriation plane,” Lecornu posted on X.

“These five passengers have immediately been placed in strict isolation until further notice …They are getting medical treatment and will undergo tests and a medical check-up.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that people evacuated from the cruise ship should quarantine for at least 42 days either at home or in hospital and undergo daily health checks.

WHO said the actual quarantine process is being managed by each individual country.

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

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

The New Zealand Army has completed its first Exercise Balikatan in the Philippines, improving its ability to fight a modern war amid the heat, humidity and venomous snakes and insects of the jungle.

New Zealand, Australia, Philippines, United States, Canada, France and Japan celebrated the successful completion of Balikatan 2026 during a closing ceremony at Camp Aguinaldo, Manila last week.

Balikatan, meaning “shoulder to shoulder” in the local Tagalog language, is a bilateral US-Philippines annual exercise designed to strengthen regional security through combined air, land, sea, cyber and space operations featuring maritime drills, coastal defence training, joint live-fire exercises and humanitarian projects.

Around 70 New Zealand Defence Force personnel, primarily from the NZ Army, have been in the Philippines for Exercise Balikatan since mid-April.

About 40 of those personnel are a NZ Army light infantry platoon group from 2nd/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, which was integrated into an Australian Army light infantry company from 5th/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, to form Combat Team Jackal.

The NZ Army light infantry platoon has participated across a range of scenarios, shoulder to shoulder with Australian, Philippine and US personnel against a fictitious opposing force, as part of larger formations that cannot be easily replicated in New Zealand.

They also took part in jungle training delivered by the Philippine Marine Corps, and close-combat shooting in the jungle environment.

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) also deployed movement operators, health specialists, cyber specialists, communications experts, and other supporting personnel, gaining valuable experience and demonstrating capability to partners.

In the lead up to Balikatan, defence cooperation between New Zealand and the Philippines has been strengthened.

In the past two years, New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement, held bilateral defence talks, signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, participated as an observer to Exercise Balikatan in 2025, and held an inaugural maritime dialogue.

The NZDF’s participation in Balikatan reflects a strategic commitment to strengthening regional partnerships, enhancing tactical and operational interoperability, and contributing to regional stability in support of the international rules-based system in the Indo-Pacific.

Lieutenant Colonel Jason Tinsley, Senior National Officer for the contingent says New Zealand is fortunate to have likeminded partners within the Indo-Pacific region.

“A shared sense of purpose for maintaining stability and promoting the international rules-based order has made for an excellent working relationship with our partners on Exercise Balikatan.”

The unique environment of the Philippines has provided a valuable training ground.

“Unlike our Australian and Filipino colleagues, we are not routinely exposed to the dangers of heat, poisonous snakes, and virus-carrying insects,” Lieutenant Colonel Tinsley said.

“Facing and overcoming these challenges provides an excellent opportunity to enhance combat effectiveness in environments very different to New Zealand.”

The NZ Army light infantry platoon group as part of Combat Team Jackal is now taking part in Exercise Salaknib, also in the Philippines and involving the host country, Australia, Japan, the United States, and for the first time New Zealand.

Salaknib’s focus is conducting complex, multi-domain operations, including live-fire events, aviation and counter mobility operations and jungle training.

MIL OSI

Incoming All Blacks coach Rennie and his star flanker Ardie Savea have steered Kobe Steelers to the top seeding in Japan Rugby League One’s knockout stage.

The Steelers clinched victory in a key final match of the 18-round regular season, winning 24-19 away to arch rivals the Kubota Spears.

The win leaves Kobe top and the Saitama Wild Knights second, handing them a bye through the first round of the play-offs while the third-ranked Spears must play an elimination final.

The outcome also increases the likelihood of a short preparation time for Rennie when he takes charge of the All Blacks for the first time ahead of their first test of 2026 – a Nations Championship fixture against France in Christchurch on 4 July.

Kobe are guaranteed to be involved in either the Japanese final on 7 June, or the third-place match a day earlier.

The All Blacks will have less than a month with Rennie, along with attack coach Mike Blair, the Scotsman who works under Rennie at Kobe and has been included in the new-look New Zealand coaching staff.

Savea – who is a contender to be named All Blacks captain – will also have little time on the ground before probably being called into Test duty.

Despite missing the Super Rugby Pacific season, Savea and Kobe team-mate Anton Lienert-Brown are both in contention for All Blacks selection under clauses in their Japan sabbatical contracts.

Kobe produced a strong finish to the season to claim top spot, with co-captain Brodie Retallick enjoying a standout campaign.

In a remarkable feat, former All Blacks lock centurion Retallick topped the try-scoring list for all teams with 17 – leaving him one short of the competition season record.

There is a two-week break before the two Japan elimination finals are played.

The first match will pit fourth-placed Tokyo Sungoliath against the fifth ranked Black Rams Tokyo.

The teams’ respective captains are long-time All Blacks team-mates and test centurions Sam Cane and TJ Perenara.

The defending champion Brave Lupus Tokyo – coached by Todd Blackadder and featuring All Blacks first-five Richie Mo’unga – snuck into the knockout stage in sixth.

Their elimination final against the Kubota Spears – a rematch of last year’s final – could be the last in Japan for the 31-year-old Mo’unga, who was New Zealand’s first-choice playmaker at the last two World Cups.

His first two seasons of a three-year contract brought successive titles for the Brave Lupus.

Under New Zealand Rugby stipulations, Mo’unga is ineligible for the All Blacks’ opening Nations Championship tests on home soil, along with the four-test Greatest Rivarly tour of South Africa.

Meanwhile, the season is over for ninth-placed Toyota Verblitz, who have a strong Kiwi connection.

Steve Hansen is the club’s director of rugby while fellow-former All Blacks coach Ian Foster is head coach and former All Blacks Aaron Smith and Mark Tele’a are in their playing ranks.

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

Test rugby is serious business, but that doesn’t stop new Black Ferns coach Whitney Hansen cracking a joke or two in the sheds, before sending her side to battle.

Hansen has brought a more grounded, humorous approach to the Black Ferns pre-test pep talks. War analogies and red-faced tirades have been replaced with jokes and games.

Skipper Kennedy Tukuafu said the approach was refreshing.

“She is so funny, honestly. At first, I was a bit unsure, because she would come into our meeting and crack a joke, and I’m, like, ‘We’re about to go into combat’, but I’m used to it and everybody is on the same page.

“We can have a laugh, but we can turn into gameface, game mode. She’s very clear with what she wants and she just makes you feel like you belong there.

“It’s a privilege to be a part of.”

After falling short at last year’s World Cup, Tukuafu said the rebuild had begun.

“We are growing something great,” she said. “We’ve got some awesome coaches who are really aligned.

“They’re very clear about their expectations of us and where we’re going. I love that our philosophy is just feel and react.

“It allows us to build our rugby instincts – ‘don’t think, just do’ – and I’m excited for where we’re going.”

While the demons of that World Cup are still fresh in the minds, they were largely buried by last month’s avenging victory over Canada, who beat them in the tournament semifinal.

“For me, it’s always going to sting, but it was nice to get that win,” Tukuafu said. “I think the biggest thing about that win was that, when the final whistle went, we all just came together and it wasn’t a huge celebration.

“It was just, ‘Yeah, that’s what we’re capable of. This is what it feels like. This is where we should be’.

“We went back to the changingroom, all low key. Our team is very unique, but I love it.”

The attention now shifts to Super Rugby Aupiki and Tukuafu said the new season structure had the Ferns coming in firing.

“For us who got to go away and play some rugby, we’re just ready to get back into it, and I can just tell that the girls that didn’t come away are over the training routine and want to play some rugby.

“We’re excited to go.”

She said it was important to put international duties to the side for Aupiki.

“It’s about parking it, because if we focus on Black Ferns, we’re not putting all our effort into the girls next to us. I know it can be a challenge.

“You want to play well so you can make it to the next level, but for me, it’s about playing well, so we’re all connected to win that competition. It’s more important for me to be connected as one here, instead of trying to get myself ahead.”

With the game continuing to grow, including a record attendance for last year’s rugby World Cup final at Twickenham, Tukuafu hoped to see this translate into bigger crowds and more bumper match-day atmospheres.

“There’s definitely more bums on seats for us, but I would love to see more.

“I think, too, my husband plays in France. Seeing those fans and that atmosphere, if we could mimic something like that, have chants and songs and merchandise, I think that would be cool.

“I think that would be a good way to grow some more.”

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May unveils unending celebrations of a repertoire of appealing international delicacies, paying homage to motherly love and French gastronomic treasures

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A group of abuse survivors is boycotting an apology by the Marist Brothers in Auckland, while another is set to protest outside.

They say survivors have been blocked from speaking at the event and that the “so-called apology” is immoral and fraudulent.

But there are others who want to hear the “long overdue” apology and hope the organisation will finally properly acknowledge what happened – and the cover up that followed.

Marist Star, the brothers’ organisation, was set to make a formal apology in Auckland on Saturday to survivors of abuse at the hands of brothers in New Zealand.

The group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests is holding an counterevent in Hawke’s Bay – tying ribbons to remember and honour survivors.

A spokesperson and survivor Christopher Longhurst said he was denied the chance to speak for two minutes at the apology.

That was despite Marist saying survivors could speak, he said.

He said it was an immoral event by a group that had consistently fought against survivors being acknowledged and heard.

“Their apology, lets be honest, is a public relations apology to make it seem like they are being accountable.”

Murray Heasley is a spokesperson for Network for Survivors of Abuse in Faith Based Institutions, which has dozens of members who were assaulted by Marist Brothers.

He said the “so-called” apology was completely unacceptable.

The brothers were controlling the format – and Heasley’s group also had a survivor who was denied the chance to briefly speak, Heasley said.

The group was also angry that Fijians who had been preyed upon by New Zealand Marist Brothers were getting a lot less financial compensation than people in Aotearoa, he said.

They had been were told to take up the problem with the organisation in Fiji but it was New Zealand-based brothers who had harmed them, so they should be the ones to make sure they got proper redress, he said.

Heasley understood why the apology was important to some of the survivors.

“What we have an objection to is the fact this is not a public apology that’s got any real meaning. It’s performative,” he said.

A long wait for sorry

But survivor Frances Tagaloa would be attending with friends and family.

“My whānau being there is quite important to me because they have experienced the impacts of abuse – lifelong impacts for me,” she said.

She was anxious ahead of the “long overdue” apology.

It was 24 years in making after she complained to the organisation in 2002 ago about abuse she suffered in the 1970s from aged five to seven.

Marist needed to go beyond apologising for the abuse itself, but also for the way they had responded to survivors, she said,

“Which was often secrecy or coverup or deflection or protection, protecting their own reputation or the institution rather than helping the survivor,” she said.

She wanted specifics from Saturday, she said.

She wanted Marist to name the different kinds of abuse the brothers inflicted – sexual, physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual, she said.

And they should name the venues – so that survivors, even those who had not come forward, might know they were not alone.

Even though it was important to her to hear the apology, she respected the decision of the survivors who did not want to attend.

The Marist Brothers had apologised many times during the Royal Commission into Abuse in State Care but those had been very hollow, she said

So she understood the reluctance and scepticism that some people felt.

“For me, I need to hear a genuine and respectful apology and if I don’t hear that I will let them know.”

Marist response

The Marist Star organisation said it understood why some would feel the apology was not enough or would question its meaning.

The perspectives were important and reflected the depth of hurt, a spokesperson said.

“For others, however, this moment may offer a step towards acknowledgement and healing,” the organisation said in a statement.

A survivors committee had helped shaped the apology, and survivors whose emails they had were invited to provide input, the spokesperson said.

Five survivors would speak at the event, despite a large number asking to.

“Unfortunately, it has not been possible to accommodate all requests, with care, safety, and the purpose of the apology being key considerations,” the spokesperson said.

“Survivors have been offered the opportunity to share written testimonies, which will be respectfully displayed on the day.”

The apology would also be streamed online at the Marist Star website.

Where to get help:

• Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357.
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
• Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202.
• Samaritans: 0800 726 666.
• Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz.
• What’s Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds.
• Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, and English.
• Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254.
• Healthline: 0800 611 116.
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155.
• OUTLine: 0800 688 5463.

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

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BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 7 May 2026 – On May 7, 2026, Huawei held the “Now Is Your Spark” global product launch in Bangkok, Thailand, where they officially unveiled the HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max, HUAWEI WATCH FIT 5 Series, HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2 Racing Legend Edition, and other innovative products. With all-scenario technology, these devices serve as a genuine extension for global users to explore the world and express themselves.

An ultra-slim flagship tablet setting new benchmarks in mobile productivity

Huawei globally debuted the HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max at this launch. Combining refined design, a premium display, PC-level productivity, and a full suite of creative tools, the HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max provides flagship tablet performance in a remarkably thin and light form factor. At 499g and measuring a mere 4.7 mm thick, even the exclusive PaperMatte Edition weighs just 509g, HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max is the thinnest and lightest tablet among the 13-inch+ tablet.

Smart wearables refreshed for the next generation

Huawei has introduced a fresh lineup of smart wearables tailored for the young generation. The HUAWEI WATCH FIT 5 Series retains its iconic square design, now enhanced with a sleek, vibrant aesthetic. It guides users through engaging and accessible mini-workouts, encouraging a more active lifestyle. The series also supports a wide range of competitive sports, including cycling, golf, trail running, and tennis. With advanced tracking, analysis, and guidance features, it caters to diverse needs, from daily fitness routines to competitive sport.

Debuting at this event, the HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2 Racing Legend Edition is a professional running watch that embodies the look and feel of marathon racing. It features a new single running ability index (RAI) and a professional Training Camp Dashboard, giving runners deeper data insights to train smarter and race harder.

Huawei partnered with renowned jewelry designer Francesca Amfitheatrof to launch the HUAWEI WATCH ULTIMATE DESIGN Spring Edition. Inspired by the blooming beauty of spring, this design features 99 natural diamonds and diamond-cut sapphire glass, a wearable celebration of feminine strength and vitality.

Huawei has also unveiled new premium flagship kids watches: the HUAWEI WATCH KIDS X1 Series. Equipped with a front and rear high-definition camera setup, it features a 110° ultra-wide-angle front camera and a 1.82-inch AMOLED screen, offering a larger display and broader field of view. The device also includes a detachable and rotatable device body and AR fun feature, enabling kids to capture every precious moment of their explorations.

A new phone experience for the diverse needs of young users

Huawei officially launched the HUAWEI nova 15 Max, redefining the experience for a generation that plays hard and shoots sharp. Equipped with a 50 MP RYYB Ultra Vision Camera, it delivers true-to-life colors even in low light or backlit conditions. The 8,500 mAh Super Battery powers all-day use, eliminating battery anxiety. The Extra-Durable Body is drop-resistant, so everyday bumps are no longer a worry. Combined with a Vivid OLED Screen and Symmetrical Stereo Dual Speakers, an immersive audio-visual experience is always within reach. From photography to battery life, and from durability to audio-visuals, the HUAWEI nova 15 Max continuously empowers every passion.

From flagship tablets to smartwatches designed for children, Huawei’s connected device ecosystem continues to expand its presence in the daily lives of users around the world. Huawei remains committed to technology that is not only useful, but genuinely enriching, technology that ignites inspiration. Huawei looks forward to continued collaboration with users around the world, helping people live and work better, wherever they are.

Hashtag: #Huawei

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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

CANNES, FRANCE – Media OutReach Newswire – 7 May 2026 – The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Ministry of Commerce, hosted “Thai Night Cannes 2026” under the theme “Reimagining Thailand” at the Cannes Film Festival, highlighting Thailand’s new direction in the global entertainment and creative economy, and reinforcing its position on the international stage.

“Thailand is entering a new phase in the global creative industries, evolving from world-class filming destination into a source of original content and a strategic partner for international co-productions,” said Ms. Sunanta Kangvalkulkij, Director-General of DITP.

“Thailand has a strong creative foundation, supported by a new generation of talents with bold and distinctive storytelling. This aligns with the government’s policy to position the creative economy as a key driver of future economic growth.”

The event showcased tangible achievements of Thailand’s film industry on the global stage, including:

• Global box office success: “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” generated over US$73 million worldwide.
• International recognition: “A Useful Ghost” won the top award in the Critics’ Week section at the Cannes Film Festival.
• Rising global demand for Thai serices: Thai BL and GL series continues to gain popularity across Asia, Latin America, and Europe.
• Growth in international productions: 162 international productions were filmed in Thailand between January and March 2026, generating over US$36 million in production spending, supported by a cash rebate incentive of up to 30%.

Thai Night Cannes 2026 also marks a significant milestone, celebrating the 170^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and France, reflecting long-standing cooperation in culture, trade, and creative industries.

At Marché du Film 2026, DITP led 15 Thai companies to participate in business negotiations and international networking under the Thailand Pavilion. Participating companies included GDH 559, Sahamongkolfilm International, GMM Studios International, and T&B Media Global.

The “Reimagining Thailand” vision represents a significant step in transforming Thailand from a globally recognized production base into a key partner in shaping the future of the international content and entertainment industry.

In addition, “Amazing Thai Night,” will be held at Annex Beach, Cannes in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), to showcase Thai culture, cuisine, music, and creative industries, while strengthening global partnerships in both tourism and the creative sectors.

Hashtag: #DITP

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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

LOS ANGELES, US – Newsaktuell – 7 May 2026 – The newly released 2026 Berggruen Governance Index (BGI) paints a mixed picture of global governance heading into a future of mounting shocks, finding widespread gains in public-goods provision from 2000 to 2023 even as democratic accountability edged down and state capacity showed little overall improvement.

The BGI, presented Wednesday by an international group of governance scholars, analyses measurable benchmarks of democratic accountability across 145 countries.

On a 100-point scale, the global score for democratic accountability slipped slightly from 65 in 2000 to 64 in 2023, the most recent data used in the project. The wave of democratisation observed in the closing decades of the last century has stalled in the last 15 years. Democratic accountability fell in 54 countries while it improved in 48 countries.

Yet the BGI — a collaborative project of the Luskin School of Public Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Berlin’s Hertie School and the Berggruen Institute, a think tank headquartered in Los Angeles — captures remarkably widespread growth in provision of public goods.

Encompassing healthcare, education, infrastructure, environmental sustainability and conditions to foster employment and rising prosperity, public goods improved in 135 of the countries studied, while declining slightly in just four. The global average jumped from 58 to 69 points from 2000 to 2023.

The third component of what the BGI authors refer to as the “governance triangle” is state capacity, defined as the ability to tax, borrow and spend, control territory, operate scrupulous, competent bureaucracies and administer predictable rule of law. The index finds the global average ticking up from 48 to 49 points; 56 countries had increased state capacity while 57 declined.

“What does it tell us about the world ahead?” Prof. Helmut K. Anheier, a Luskin School sociologist and BGI principal investigator, asked during the public release of the 2026 BGI on the UCLA campus.

“Countries are not really improving in their governance performance in significant ways. … We’re not really having forward-looking investment in governance capacity. There is considerable inertia.”

The largest improvements across all three BGI components occurred in Gambia, which the report groups with “low-capacity developing states.” These states score low across the board, particularly in the provision of public goods. This cluster constitutes the poorest countries with the least developed economies, which face the most serious challenges.

“They have the greatest exposure to likely future crises, whether it’s global warming, whether it’s a new pandemic, whether it’s another financial crisis, whether it’s the impact of AI,” Anheier said. “And they have the least capacity to respond to it.”

Bhutan, Georgia, Iraq and Tunisia — which make up the remaining top five countries with the largest improvements in the BGI — are classified as “capacity-constrained states.” They tend to be middle-income with struggling democracies. These countries score higher across the board than the low-capacity developing states, but their state capacity tends to lag compared to public goods and democratic accountability.

The capacity-constrained states risk falling into “a cycle that erodes the institutions they have built,” Anheier said.

“Consolidated democratic states”, a cluster of most of the world’s richest countries, which score highly in all three BGI components, have to confront domestic complacency. Further, in the United States and some others, “political dysfunction” is leaving mounting problems unaddressed and risking erosion of state capacity, Anheier said.

At the other end of the spectrum, the country with the farthest fall on the BGI since 2000 is Nicaragua. Second from last is Venezuela, followed by Hong Kong, Hungary and Turkey. The rest of the bottom 10 are Russia, Iran, Poland, El Salvador and Belarus.

Since 2023, which is the last year of data available for the study, Poland and Hungary have both seen government changes via election, despite serious democratic backsliding. Both had fallen out of the group of “consolidated democratic states” by 2023 and moved into the capacity constrained cluster.

The other eight countries at the bottom of the list are all places that once had some semblance of competitive elections, but by now have little or no remaining pretense of democracy. They are grouped by the authors among the “authoritarian and hybrid states”, which have by far the lowest democratic accountability but outperform even some struggling democracies in delivering public goods.

These regimes have tended toward faster economic growth in the period observed. But that seeming prosperity, typically fueled by extractive industries or overreliance on exports, masks “serious institutional weaknesses in these countries, including divided elites,” Anheier said.

Relatively few countries — 21 of the 145 — changed enough for better or worse to be classified in a new group by the end of the 23-year study period.

“Movement between them is rare, but this is largely what we should expect,” said Stella Ghervas, a UCLA historian on a panel of experts who discussed the BGI findings Wednesday. “Government systems are not created in a moment. They evolve over long periods of time.”

Local conditions shaping governance in each country can rarely be quickly reset through political will or even external shocks, Joseph C. Saraceno, a Luskin School data scientist and BGI co-author, said Wednesday.

“Despite all the talk of major transformations happening in global affairs, the underlying configuration of governance simply doesn’t appear to change very much,” Saraceno said. “We use the term inertia to describe this reoccurring pattern. In other words, the structures of global governance are resistant to movement as the conditions beneath them are quite sticky: political economies, demographics, resource endowments. These are deeply layered, and they push each country toward the world that it already inhabits.”

But the challenges lurking around the world may not wait for the slow and difficult processes of political change and development to catch up.

“With the few exceptions of those countries in the consolidated democratic world,” Anheier said, “the great majority of the countries in the world is ill-prepared for the future.”

The full report, ‘ 2026 Berggruen Governance Index – The Four Worlds of Governance’, can be viewed and downloaded from the website of the UCLA’s Luskin School.

Frank Fuhrig, DNA

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Safe passage of merchant shipping and freedom of navigation is more relevant today than at any time since the Second World War, says New Zealand Defence Force Maritime Component Commander, Commodore Shane Arndell.

Commodore Arndell was addressing the participants of Exercise Bell Buoy, a recent 10-day desktop exercise at Devonport Naval Base, involving naval and government representatives from 10 countries.

Exercise Bell Buoy fosters a Maritime Trade Operations capability among members of the Pacific and Indian Oceans Shipping Working Group, where Maritime Trade Operators (MTOs) – usually Navy Reservists – support the freedom of navigation of shipping when domestic and international threats to maritime security occur.

In a contested environment, MTOs could be called upon to provide sailing information, conduct briefings to ship masters and manage high-risk areas at sea, including re-routing of merchant shipping.

World tensions are prompting navies to look at Maritime Trade Operations and Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) in a new light, Commodore Arndell said.

“The deteriorating strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific, and indeed the world, is requiring us to be more alert of the potential for impacts to our vital shipping links to international markets,” he said.

“If any time was ‘your time’, it is now.”

With 99 per cent of New Zealand’s imports and exports travelling by sea, it has never been more important to ensure sea lanes are secure, Commodore Arndell said.

Countries participating in Ex Bell Buoy were Australia, Canada, Ecuador, France, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The MTO participants exercised a joint response to a scenario involving maritime security threats to merchant shipping in the Indo-Pacific.

Sub Lieutenant Amos Kamo, a Maritime Trade Operations reservist with Auckland-based unit HMNZS Ngapona, says the Middle East conflict has really brought home the importance of their trade.

“Everything that is playing out over there, is everything we have trained for,” he said.

“People have become a lot more interested in what we do, and they can see the relevance of it.

“The real highlight for us is spending time with other countries, getting to know other people and getting a great sense of how they take their military doctrine and effect it. You see a lot of competency and confidence and it’s really cool to absorb it.”

Lead planner for Ex Bell Buoy, Lieutenant Commander Kris Herbison, says he was encouraged by the professionalism and collaborative spirit among the nations attending.

“Bell Buoy reinforces that maritime security is a shared responsibility, and the relationships strengthened here directly enhance the resilience of the wider Indo-Pacific maritime domain.”

Commander Glenn Woolfrey, Royal Canadian Navy, says their attendance underscores Canada’s commitment to strengthen interoperability with partners and grow their readiness to support NCAGS.

Captain Cannon Neslen, U.S. Pacific Fleet NCAGS Director, says the global merchant shipping industry is facing “unprecedented” security challenges.

“It highlights the importance of the MTO teams communicating with key shipping and country stakeholders in understanding the array of commercial and military risks.

“Bell Buoy was very successful in reinforcing understanding of NATO NCAGS doctrine, command and control, and assessing the impact of MTO effects. We look forward to continued partnerships with future exercises.”

MIL OSI

The New Zealand Army’s Brigadier Esther Harrop has attended 31 Anzac Day services in uniform around the world but this year’s ceremony in Samoa, and the story of sixpence per crate of bananas and her grandfather’s Spitfire, brought her to tears.

Following the service, Brigadier Harrop presented a Second World War photo of her grandfather, then Flight Sergeant Andrew Kronfeld, to the local Returned and Services Association.

The image is of him sitting in the cockpit of the Royal Air Force Spitfire Mark Vb named Western Samoa, which had been bought with the £5,723 Western Samoa’s banana farmers raised by contributing six pence per crate of exported bananas.

The aircraft was gifted to 485 New Zealand Squadron and Flight Sergeant Kronfeld, whose family came from Lotofaga on the south coast of Upolu, was chosen to fly it.

Brigadier Harrop said she loved sharing the “amazing” story of Samoa’s contribution to the Second World War.

“The president of the RSA, Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio, who was formerly the deputy prime minister of Samoa, had not heard this story at all.

“They did not know they had a Samoan Spitfire, let alone that there was a New Zealand-Samoan pilot.

“I was so proud. The reaction from the people who hadn’t heard this story was so cool… they wanted to celebrate this.”

Brigadier Harrop never met her grandfather but found out about the Spitfire and bananas story in about 2015.

Flight Sergeant Kronfeld was one of two Polynesian faces in his tranche when 90 Commonwealth pilots trained in Winnipeg in Canada, and he was the top graduate.

He flew the Spitfire in Europe and shot down a German Messerschmitt Bf 109 over France. He survived the war but the aircraft, which was transferred to an American volunteer unit, was later destroyed.

In 1941 he went to Calcutta, now Kolkata, in India where he met his wife, and their daughter (Brigadier Harrop’s mother Sandy Harrop) was also born there.

Brigadier Harrop said the Spitfire symbolised Samoa’s direct and voluntary contribution to the Allied war effort, and its enduring bond with New Zealand service personnel.

“We are incredibly proud of his service, and it was particularly special to represent the NZDF and my family on Anzac Day in our ancestral home of Samoa.”

MIL OSI

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

Split Enz and Crowded House member Neil Finn has bought a controversial Auckland pub, with plans to turn it into a wellness retreat.

Edinburgh Castle in Eden Terrace has a history of violent incidents, including the manslaughter of rising MMA fighter Fau Vake in 2021.

Stuff reported in 2023 the bar had surrendered its liquor license, but continued to operate poker machines and sell hotel rooms.

Neil Finn’s assistant confirmed to RNZ the musician had purchased Edinburgh Castle, which neighbours his existing Roundhead Studios.

Finn was on tour with Split Enz and was unavailable to comment himself.

His assistant said Finn planned to transform the venue into a wellness centre, but couldn’t comment further.

Restaurateur Chand Sahrawat, who runs The French Cafe directly across from Edinburgh Castle with her husband Sid, said they were excited by the news.

“The site has had its challenges over the years, so a concept centred on wellbeing, connection, and a more considered use of the space is a welcome change,” she told RNZ in a written statement.

“We see this as a great addition, something that will contribute positively to the energy, safety and overall appeal of the neighbourhood.”

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

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