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.

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

• Telix to partner with companies developing advanced minimally invasive and image-guided ablative technologies for prostate cancer.
• Initial focus on patient selection, treatment planning and post-treatment monitoring; evidence generation to inform best practice.
• Aim to accelerate adoption of novel therapeutic workflows to enhance clinical decision making and patient outcomes.

MELBOURNE, Australia and INDIANAPOLIS, May 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX, NASDAQ: TLX, “Telix”) today announces that it has entered into letters of intent to pursue collaborations with EDAP TMS S.A. (NASDAQ: EDAP, “EDAP”) and Profound Medical Corp. (NASDAQ: PROF, TSX: PRN, “Profound”), leading companies developing advanced minimally invasive and image-guided treatment ablative technologies for prostate cancer, including focal, subtotal, and whole-gland treatment approaches. These initiatives reflect Telix’s commitment to advancing the integration of molecular imaging into the evolving prostate cancer treatment landscape to help inform clinical decision-making.

The collaborations will explore the investigational use of Telix’s PSMA-PET¹ imaging agents Gozellix® (kit for the preparation of gallium Ga 68 gozetotide) and Illuccix® (kit for the preparation of gallium Ga 68 gozetotide) with robotic high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), and other image-guided therapies designed to treat localized prostate cancer, such as transurethral ultrasound ablation (TULSA).

Telix’s intention is to work with select partners to explore how PSMA-PET imaging may support emerging therapy workflows, which aim to preserve healthy tissue and minimize the risk of side effects such as incontinence and impotence. Collaborative activities will focus on non-promotional scientific, educational, and research engagement².

“We are uniquely designed to enable the integration of PSMA-PET imaging with Focal One’s real-time ultrasound and fully robotic energy delivery to optimize treatment efficacy while minimizing side effects,” said Ryan Rhodes, EDAP Chief Executive Officer. “As the market leader in robotic focal therapy, with a growing global installed base, this collaboration will accelerate the development and standardization of treatment strategies to further personalize focal therapy treatments using Telix’s PSMA-PET imaging agents and Focal One Robotic HIFU.”

“Emerging clinical evidence suggests PSMA imaging may support prostate whole-gland, partial-gland, and focal ablation workflows, from treatment planning through post-treatment monitoring,” said Arun Menawat, Profound’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. “In collaboration with Telix, we look forward to exploring optimized workflows and generating clinical evidence that may help establish best practices and accelerate adoption of PSMA-PET imaging and the MRI-guided TULSA Procedure.”

“Precision medicine requires precision treatment strategies,” said Kevin Richardson, CEO, Telix Precision Medicine. “As disruptive technologies continue to transform prostate cancer care, we believe PSMA-PET imaging has the potential to play an important role in helping inform clinical decision-making across a range of minimally invasive and image-guided treatment approaches. We are excited to explore collaborations with market leaders in EDAP and Profound that may further advance personalized care for patients.”

About EDAP TMS SA

A recognized leader in robotic energy-based therapies, EDAP TMS develops, manufactures, promotes, and distributes worldwide minimally invasive medical devices for various conditions using ultrasound technology. By combining the latest technologies in imaging, robotics, and precise non-invasive energy delivery, EDAP introduced the Focal One® in Europe and the United States as a leading prostate focal therapy platform controlled by urologists, with the potential to expand to multiple indications beyond prostate cancer. For more information on the Company, please visit focalone.com.

About Profound Medical Corp.

Profound is a commercial-stage medical device company and an innovator in interventional MRI procedures. The company’s flagship platform, TULSA-PRO®, enables MRI-guided, incision-free prostate ablation. Physicians use the TULSA Procedure to see, ablate, and confirm therapy in real time, supporting personalized treatment strategies across the continuum of prostate care—from whole-gland to subtotal, hemi, multifocal, and focal treatment. This approach enables individualized care using prostate tissue ablation, while minimizing the potential of the side effects that are typically associated with surgery or radiation, such as urinary incontinence and/or erectile dysfunction.

Profound Medical’s technologies are approved across major global markets. TULSA-PRO is cleared by the FDA in the United States for transurethral ultrasound ablation (TULSA) of prostate tissue. In addition, TULSA-PRO is cleared for use in various jurisdictions including Europe, Canada, Saudi Arabia, India, Australia/New Zealand, and the UAE. 

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (GOZELLIX)

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
Risk for Misinterpretation
Image interpretation errors can occur with GOZELLIX PET. A negative image does not rule out the presence of prostate cancer, and a positive image does not confirm the presence of prostate cancer. Gallium Ga-68 gozetotide uptake is not specific for prostate cancer and may occur with other types of cancer as well as non-malignant processes such as Paget’s disease, fibrous dysplasia, and osteophytosis. Clinical correlation, which may include histopathological evaluation of the suspected prostate cancer site, is recommended.

Imaging Prior to Initial Definitive or Suspected Recurrence Therapy
The performance of GOZELLIX for imaging of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer seems to be affected by serum PSA levels and by site of disease. The performance of GOZELLIX for imaging of metastatic pelvic lymph nodes prior to initial definitive therapy seems to be affected by Gleason score.

Radiation Risks
Gallium Ga-68 gozetotide contributes to a patient’s overall long-term cumulative radiation exposure. Long-term cumulative radiation exposure is associated with an increased risk for cancer. Ensure safe handling to minimize radiation exposure to the patient and healthcare providers. Advise patients to hydrate before and after administration and to void frequently after administration.

Hypersensitivity Reactions to Sulfites
Ascorbic Acid Stabilizer contains sodium metabisulfite, a sulfite that may cause allergic-type reactions including anaphylactic symptoms and life-threatening or less severe asthmatic episodes in certain susceptible people. The overall prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the general population is unknown and probably low. Sulfite sensitivity is seen more frequently in asthmatic than in non-asthmatic people.

ADVERSE REACTIONS
The safety of gallium Ga-68 gozetotide was evaluated in 960 patients in the PSMA-PreRP and PSMABCR studies, each receiving one dose of gallium Ga-68 gozetotide. The average injected activity was 188.7 ± 40.7 MBq (5.1 ± 1.1 mCi). The most commonly reported adverse reactions were nausea, diarrhea, and dizziness, occurring at a rate of

DRUG INTERACTIONS
Androgen deprivation therapy and other therapies targeting the androgen pathway Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and other therapies targeting the androgen pathway, such as androgen receptor antagonists, can result in changes in uptake of gallium Ga-68 gozetotide in prostate cancer. The effect of these therapies on performance of gallium Ga-68 gozetotide PET has not been established.

Please note that this information is not comprehensive.

Please see the Full Prescribing Information here.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (ILLUCCIX)
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Risk for Misinterpretation
Image interpretation errors can occur with Illuccix PET. A negative image does not rule out the presence of prostate cancer, and a positive image does not confirm the presence of prostate cancer. Gallium Ga 68 gozetotide uptake is not specific for prostate cancer and may occur with other types of cancer as well as non-malignant processes such as Paget’s disease, fibrous dysplasia, and osteophytosis. Clinical correlation, which may include histopathological evaluation of the suspected prostate cancer site, is recommended.

Imaging Prior to Initial Definitive or Suspected Recurrence Therapy
The performance of Illuccix for imaging of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer seems to be affected by serum PSA levels and by site of disease. The performance of Illuccix for imaging of metastatic pelvic lymph nodes prior to initial definitive therapy seems to be affected by Gleason score.

Radiation Risks
Gallium Ga 68 gozetotide contributes to a patient’s overall long-term cumulative radiation exposure. Long-term cumulative radiation exposure is associated with an increased risk for cancer. Ensure safe handling to minimize radiation exposure to the patient and healthcare providers. Advise patients to hydrate before and after administration and to void frequently after administration.

ADVERSE REACTIONS
The safety of gallium Ga 68 gozetotide was evaluated in 960 patients in the PSMA-PreRP and PSMA-BCR studies, each receiving one dose of gallium Ga 68 gozetotide. The average injected activity was 188.7 ± 40.7 MBq (5.1 ± 1.1 mCi). The most commonly reported adverse reactions were nausea, diarrhea, and dizziness, occurring at a rate of

In the VISION study, 1003 patients received one dose of gallium Ga 68 gozetotide intravenously with the amount of radioactivity 167.1 ± 23.1 MBq (4.52 ± 0.62 mCi). Adverse reactions occurring at ≥0.5% in patients with metastatic prostate cancer who received gallium Ga 68 gozetotide injection in the clinical study were fatigue (1.2%), nausea (0.8%), constipation (0.5%), and vomiting (0.5%).
Adverse reactions occurring at a rate of

Injection site pain has been identified during postapproval use of ILLUCCIX.

DRUG INTERACTIONS
Androgen deprivation therapy and other therapies targeting the androgen pathway
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and other therapies targeting the androgen pathway, such as androgen receptor antagonists, can result in changes in uptake of gallium Ga 68 gozetotide in prostate cancer. The effect of these therapies on performance of gallium Ga 68 gozetotide PET has not been established.

Please note that this information is not comprehensive.
Please see the Full Prescribing Information here.

You are encouraged to report suspected adverse reactions of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit MedWatch at www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report adverse reactions to Telix by calling 1-844-455-8638 or emailing: pharmacovigilance@telixpharma.com.

About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited

Telix is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals with the goal of addressing significant unmet medical need in oncology and rare diseases. Telix is headquartered in Melbourne (Australia) with international operations in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, Europe (Belgium and Switzerland) and Japan. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX) and the Nasdaq Global Select Market (NASDAQ: TLX).

Visit www.telixpharma.com for further information about Telix, including details of the latest share price, ASX and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, investor and analyst presentations, news releases, event details and other publications that may be of interest. You can also follow Telix on LinkedIn, X and Facebook.

Legal Notices

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements. 

You should read this announcement together with our risk factors, as disclosed in our most recently filed reports with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC, or on our website.

The information contained in this announcement is not intended to be an offer for subscription, invitation or recommendation with respect to securities of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (Telix) in any jurisdiction, including the United States. The information and opinions contained in this announcement are subject to change without notification. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Telix disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any information or opinions contained in this announcement, including any forward-looking statements (as referred to below), whether as a result of new information, future developments, a change in expectations or assumptions, or otherwise. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained or opinions expressed in the course of this announcement.

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that relate to anticipated future events, financial performance, plans, strategies or business developments. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of words such as “may”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “outlook”, “forecast” and “guidance”, or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on Telix’s good-faith assumptions as to the financial, market, regulatory and other risks and considerations that exist and affect Telix’s business and operations in the future and there can be no assurance that any of the assumptions will prove to be correct. In the context of Telix’s business, forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about: the initiation, timing, progress, completion and results of Telix’s preclinical and clinical trials, and Telix’s research and development programs; Telix’s ability to advance product candidates into, enroll and successfully complete, clinical studies, including multi-national clinical trials; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals for Telix’s product candidates, manufacturing activities and product marketing activities; Telix’s sales, marketing and distribution and manufacturing capabilities and strategies; the commercialization of Telix’s product candidates, if or when they have been approved; Telix’s ability to obtain an adequate supply of raw materials at reasonable costs for its products and product candidates; estimates of Telix’s expenses, future revenues and capital requirements; Telix’s financial performance; developments relating to Telix’s competitors and industry; the anticipated impact of U.S. and foreign tariffs and other macroeconomic conditions on Telix’s business, including as a result of war or other geopolitical conflicts; and the pricing and reimbursement of Telix’s product candidates, if and after they have been approved. Telix’s actual results, performance or achievements may be materially different from those which may be expressed or implied by such statements, and the differences may be adverse. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Trademarks and Trade Names. All trademarks and trade names referenced in this press release are the property of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (Telix) or, where applicable, the property of their respective owners. For convenience, trademarks and trade names may appear without the ® or symbols. Such omissions are not intended to indicate any waiver of rights by Telix or the respective owners. Trademark registration status may vary from country to country. Telix does not intend the use or display of any third-party trademarks or trade names to imply any affiliation with, endorsement by, or sponsorship from those third parties.

©2026 Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited. All rights reserved.

^{______________________________________
1} Imaging of prostate-specific membrane antigen.
² PSMA-PET imaging is not currently approved for specific treatment-planning indications associated with these emerging therapies.

– Published by The MIL Network

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

For the next 11 days, Raglan is set to shift from laid-back surf town to the centre stage of world surfing.

The World Surf League arrives at Manu Bay on Friday, marking the first time New Zealand has hosted a combined men’s and women’s Championship Tour event.

The world’s best surfers, global media crews, sponsors, influencers and fans have descended on Whāingaroa as the usually quiet coastal community takes on a festival atmosphere.

Crowds of up to 7000 are expected to gather along headlands and the shoreline to watch elite surfers tackle one of the most famous left-hand breaks in the world.

Who are the big names to look out for?

Brazil continues to dominate the men’s Championship Tour, with a core group of surfers setting the pace in recent seasons.

Gabriel Medina is an Olympic and three-time world champion known for his powerful, precise surfing and ability to deliver under pressure in high-stakes heats.

Italo Ferreira, surfing’s first Olympic gold medallist at the Tokyo Games, brings explosive energy and a fast, dynamic approach that can quickly swing a heat.

Yago Dora represents the progressive edge of the tour, with aerial manoeuvres and high-risk, high-reward surfing that can produce huge scores.

In the women’s field, Australia’s strength is clear.

Stephanie Gilmore, an eight-time world champion, remains one of the most accomplished competitors in the sport, known for her smooth, controlled and highly refined style. Alongside her, Molly Picklum has emerged as one of the tour’s rising forces, combining modern power surfing with growing competitive consistency.

What about the local hopes?

New Zealand’s challenge is led by Billy Stairmand, the country’s most experienced competitor and a proven performer in powerful left-hand waves like Manu Bay. He will carry much of the home expectation in familiar conditions.

Wildcard Tom Butland adds a free-swinging X-factor, entering the Championship Tour with local knowledge and nothing to lose.

Fifteen-year-old wildcard Alani Morse is one of the youngest surfers in the field, earning her place after winning a qualifying event in Raglan. A homegrown talent from Whāingaroa, she arrives with strong local backing and a rapid rise through the New Zealand junior ranks, now stepping onto surfing’s biggest stage.

What’s special about Raglan as a venue?

The competition will be centred on Manu Bay, one of the country’s most famous breaks and a long, perfectly formed left-hander that peels along a volcanic reef. Its combination of consistency, ride length and natural amphitheatre viewing makes it a rare venue capable of hosting Championship Tour surfing.

How does the competition work?

Competitive surfing is basically a knockout tournament held in the ocean, where athletes compete in timed “heats” and try to catch the best waves available during that window.

On the championship tour, the opening and elimination rounds typically feature heats with three surfers, the top two advancing. From then on it’s one-on-one until the trophies are given out.

Heats are around 20-30 minutes long, and during that time surfers can ride as many waves as they like, but only their best two are counted toward their score.

Each wave is scored out of 10, and the two highest-scoring waves are combined. For example, a surfer scoring 8.5 and 7.0 would have a total of 15.5. Surfers with the highest combined scores advance to the next round.

How does the judging work?

There are no goals, laps or finish lines-just waves. Judges score each ride out of 10 based on factors including speed, power, flow, difficulty, variety of manoeuvres and degree of risk.

The emphasis is on the quality and progression of performance rather than simple completion.

Why can’t I find a schedule online?

There is no fixed schedule for the event. Surfing is one of the few professional sports dictated entirely by nature and it can be a waiting game.

As a result, the event runs within a flexible window rather than on fixed competition days, with organisers choosing when to run heats based on swell, wind and tide conditions. The Raglan event is set down from 15-25 May, with the competition expected to be held over four to six days within this 11-day window. Organisers will make “daily status calls” each morning to determine if conditions are suitable to run the heats that day.

Can you talk me through some of the lingo?

Surfing comes with its own shorthand.

A “set” refers to a group of waves arriving together, often the most valuable scoring opportunities in a heat. “Priority” determines who has the right of way to choose or take the next wave.

A “barrel” or “tube” describes the hollow section of a breaking wave that surfers aim to ride inside.

“Drop-in” is when a surfer takes off on a wave already being ridden by someone else – usually a penalty-inducing mistake.

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

All Whites forward Kosta Barbarouses knows the heartbreak of missing out on a Football World Cup squad, and now the happiness and relief of finally making it 16 years later.

Barbarouses has “no regrets” about his football journey, that has wound from Wellington to Western Sydney, including stops in Greece and Russia, and five different A-League clubs.

Now, his inclusion in coach Darren Bazeley’s 26-man squad for next month’s Football World Cup is reward for that persistence.

Barbarouses came agonisingly close to selection for the All Whites’ 2010 World Cup squad – so close that his boot sponsor had already prepared personalised World Cup boots, before then-coach Ricki Herbert finalised his team.

“I’ve even got the World Cup boots from Nike, personalised as well, and I never went,” the 36-year-old said. “I’ve still got those as an heirloom.”

This year’s version of the boots will mean even more to Barbarouses, who heard about his call-up for the tournament in North America while on school pick-up duty.

“I haven’t seen them yet, but now instead of my name, I’ve got my kids’ names on them, so I’m excited for those.”

Barbarouses described his club season with A-League wooden-spooners Western Sydney Wanderers as “disappointing”, but he never doubted his value to the national team.

“I always knew I was doing well for the national team, but obviously, you want to do well week to week and, honestly, I have been very disappointed.”

Barbarouses said the March window, when the All Whites played Finland and Chile in the FIA Series in Auckland, was crucial to pushing his case for a place in the World Cup squad. That period co-incided with him losing his starting role at club level.

“I’ll give myself a little bit of credit that I was able to stay professional and stay fit, and perform like I did in the March window,” he said. “I think that helped give [Bazeley] and probably the staff a lot of trust in me.”

After the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the All Whites fell short of qualification three straight times – with Barbarouses part of each failed campaign. The forward has played 31 World Cup qualifiers dating back to 2008.

“Being selected in the final squad feels great, to be honest, and it’s been a long and exciting four years full of ups and downs, and almost there now.”

Having booked his ticket, Barbarouses wants to get on the park, when the All Whites play Iran, Egypt and Belgium during the group stage.

With an injury to captain and leading goalscorer Chris Wood this year, Barbarouses has shared a role up front with Ben Waine.

“I would like to think I’m ready to play and I want as much of a playing role as possible, as I think everyone would.

“I think, even the past couple of windows, it’s clear to see that I’m well and truly up to it, and up for it as well.

“I’d love to see – like everyone in our country would – Chris Wood be there and scoring the goals for us, and I’ll be ready to support him and the team, whether that’s starting, coming on for 45 minutes, 10 minutes, five minutes.

“I’ll be ready and I’ll be ready to perform.”

For the 26 players selected, there has been celebrations.

Barbarouses’ family at the Strathmore fish and chip shop in Wellington were the first people he called with the news.

“Obviously, mum, dad, brothers, aunties, uncles, everyone’s just ecstatic.

“They know how hard I work, as do all of the boys, but they’ve seen my journey firsthand, so they’re very proud and excited for what’s to come in the next six weeks.”

While some players celebrated, others were left devastated.

Like Barbarouses in 2010, former Wellington Phoenix teammate Bill Tuiloma narrowly missed out on selection.

Tuiloma returned to New Zealand from US Major League Soccer in an attempt to secure more playing time and impress Bazeley, but ultimately fell short.

When Alex Rufer, Sarpreet Singh and Tim Payne had finished their face-to-face conversations with Bazeley on Wednesday, they knew they were capping off a tough club season with the Phoenix with something bigger to look forward to, but they were also “hurting” for Tuiloma.

“Unfortunately, Bill was left out,” Rufer said. “Bill is a very, very good player and an extremely strong person.

“We spent some time with him and it’s normal you’re going to be hurting when you don’t make the team, but I think he’s in a good headspace, and he’s still going to train and keep ticking over, because anything can happen.

“He’ll most likely be over in America, back home with his family and who knows? He’s still got that mentality to keep ticking over, and make sure that he’s ready and available, if need be.”

The All Whites can make changes to their squad before the tournament, should any injuries occur.

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

The flotilla departs tomorrow with 54 boats and nearly 500 participants from 45 countries on the eve of Nakba Day.

MARMARIS – The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) issued a definitive declaration today from the port of Marmaris, confirming that its nonviolent mission to break Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza will proceed. The fleet departs tomorrow, joining forces with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to launch 54 boats carrying nearly 500 participants from 45 countries. As the world mobilizes after 78 years of Palestinian dispossession, occupation, and erasure, the flotilla will be at sea, sailing toward Gaza, maintaining that commemoration without action is no longer enough.

Four New Zealanders are set to continue on this mission to break Israel’s illegal siege. These individuals are Samuel Leason, Hāhona Ormsby, Mousa Taher, and Julien Blondel.

After a month defined by maritime violence, illegal abductions, and the documented torture of international human rights defenders by the israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), our fleet has regrouped and expanded in preparation for the final leg of its journey to the shores of Gaza where they will deliver food and aid to Palestinian children and families continuing to live under israel’s brutal occupation.

The Strategic Mandate for Action

The decision to proceed is grounded in visceral mandates. While Gaza’s healthcare system continues to face total collapse, the Flotilla’s medical fleet serves as a direct, civilian-led humanitarian intervention. GSF organizers emphasized that as the Israeli regime attempts to make the blockade the permanent status quo, the strategic risk of inaction has become far greater than the risks of sailing.

This determination follows the return of Steering Committee members Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Ávila, who were released on May 10 after ten days of illegal detention and systemic abuse and torture at the hands of the israeli state as well as the beating and sexual abuse of flotilla volunteers who were illegally intercepted and detained in European international waters on 29 April. Their return is a testament to international mobilization, yet their release does not constitute true freedom while over 9,500 Palestinians remain trapped in a system of torture and impunity.

For the Flotilla, the moral imperative of direct action against the israeli regime far outweighs the risks of remaining silent in the face of ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing. In parallel with the maritime departure, a land convoy is currently staging in North Africa. Comprised of dozens of trucks and hundreds of participants from over 30 countries, this overland mission is moving through Libya toward the Rafah border crossing.

Defying the Machinery of Impunity

The mission has further evolved into a universal struggle for liberation. Representatives from the Rohingya community and other oppressed peoples have joined the fleet, framing Gaza as the tip of the spear in a global uprising against genocide.

A Direct Challenge to Global Complicity and State Piracy

Flotilla organizers explicitly condemned the complicity of the Greek government, the European Union, and other flag states whose silence allowed the IOF to carry out abductions in international waters, over 1,000 km from Gaza, with total impunity.

Parallel to technical preparations, international legal experts finalized a global accountability strategy at a legal symposium held last week. This includes immediate legal prosecution and potential proceedings at the International Criminal Court against the israeli state and governments providing diplomatic and logistical cover for these crimes; exploring legal actions in more than 30 countries; and continued demands for sanctions against and reparations from the israeli state for its ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.

GSF continues to demand formal accountability for the violence and sexual abuse inflicted on participants. GSF maintains that civilian maritime missions are firmly protected under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a framework the Israeli state and its allies are currently dismantling.

A Direct Challenge to Political Cowardice

The mission stands as a direct challenge to world leaders who have offered only calibrated statements and letters while witnessing the continued genocide and starvation of Gaza. While 14 UN Special Rapporteurs, the Prime Ministers of Spain and Brazil, and 19 members of the U.S. Congress have spoken out, the U.S. State Department has issued threats against its own citizens rather than defending them from attacks in international waters. This response is being documented as a legal and political fact.

In the absence of state intervention, people of conscience are acting as the physical barrier between military brutality and Palestinian lives. As the flotilla sets sail, movement and Palestinian civil society leaders are coordinating global protests on land, with over 400 actions planned across 47 countries on May 15 and 16. The horizon is not negotiable.

MIL OSI

A group of Hawke’s Bay rangatahi have developed their own set of guidelines for healthy eating and backed it up by creating and starring in a social-media campaign to disseminate the guidelines.

Two studies have been published describing the creation of and campaign promoting the Manaora Rangatahi Guidelines for Eating and Wellbeing, as well as demonstrating the strengths of co-designing guidelines for young people with young people.

Professor of population nutrition and global health at the University of Auckland Boyd Swinburn told RNZ healthy eating guidelines for children and young people, which were developed in 2012 and last updated in 2015, are in the process of being updated by the Ministry of Health.

“Eating guidelines they seem like they have like an educational role, that they are helping people to guide them to what’s healthy to eat and what’s not and that is true, but they are also quite powerful policy instruments.

“So once you have a set of agreed eating guidelines that flows on into things like… the school lunches program, what’s able to be advertised, what’s able to have health claims and so on.”

The studies were part of the Nourishing Hawke’s Bay: He wairua tō te kai project and Swinburn said he and co-author professor David Tipene-Leach felt the current guidelines were pretty old, formal and didn’t resonate with young people.

He believes that co-design is the way the go, with rangatahi providing their input and experiences with the support of experts who provide the scientific knowledge.

“When it comes to converting them into messages that are going to be picked up and understood and thought about by the target group you have to involve those people to whom you’re targeting it just doesn’t make sense any other way.”

Seventeen rangatahi from four schools in Hawke’s Bay took part took part in three noho marae (marae stays) developing draft guidelines and comparing them against other guidelines from New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Norway and USA.

“They critically appraised these different guidelines based on what seemed relevant to them, they were quite taken with the Mexican guidelines actually because the Mexican guidelines had an invitational approach,” Swinburn said.

After the first noho marae the draft guidelines were put to the test during the next school term with students gathering feedback from their friends and fellow students, he said.

“It wasn’t only eating guidelines, we started out with eating guidelines but they wanted to have wellbeing guidelines which included sleep and physical activity and cyber safety and all that sort of thing, so this expanded into 10 eating guidelines and 10 wellbeing guidelines.

“Our first goal was to try to get some guidelines together and when they came together and when we tested them and tweaked them we were thinking these are fantastic, these are way better than any others that we’ve seen.

“I was totally enthused by these guidelines because they were rich and they had Māori constructs in which were holistic and anyway I thought they were beautiful and I thought okay we’ve got to get these out there we can’t just do these and put them on the shelf.”

Swinburn said the students took the lead on the social media campaign, guiding the researchers on how to share the information, how it would look and which Māori influencers they wanted to work with.

“[The rangatahi] put in a huge amount of their own knowledge and expertise and understanding of their peer group to be able to say ‘this is what’s going to resonate, this is what’s going to have an effect, no that won’t work, that’s useless, they don’t understand that’ and so they were really quite clear about what the ways to disseminate these guidelines were.”

Their campaign achieved more than 1.48 million impressions and more than 19,000 engagement actions, at a total cost of NZ$125,000.

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

Chris Wood will captain the All Whites for their FIFA World Cup campaign in North America.

New Zealand head coach Darren Bazeley named his 26-player squad for the Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, starting on 11 June.

The squad is:

Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Michael Woud

Defenders: Tyler Bindon, Michael Boxall, Liberato Cacace, Francis de Vries, Callan Elliot, Tim Payne, Nando Pijnaker, Tommy Smith, Finn Surman

Midfielders: Lachlan Bayliss, Joe Bell, Matt Garbett, Ben Old, Alex Rufer, Sarpreet Singh, Marko Stamenic, Ryan Thomas

Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses, Eli Just, Callum McCowatt, Jesse Randall, Ben Waine, Chris Wood (captain).

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

The All Whites squad that will carry New Zealand onto football’s biggest stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will today be unveiled at Eden Park.

Coach Darren Bazeley will name his 26-man squad as New Zealand prepares for its first World Cup appearance since the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The All Whites open their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Iran in Los Angeles.

The team announcement is due to begin about 11am at the top of this page, followed by a stand-up afterward. There may be a small break in streaming.

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

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.

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

Good evening, everyone. Thank you to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs for the invitation to deliver this year’s annual lecture. It’s a pleasure to be here.

I would like to acknowledge NZIIA Patron and former Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand, members of the diplomatic corps, distinguished guests. I would also like to acknowledge the outgoing members of the NZIIA Board, Dr James Kember and Suzannah Jessep and new board members Rosemary Banks and Dr Julia Macdonald.

The NZIIA has been asking hard questions about New Zealand’s place in the world for over seventy years. Tonight those questions are as relevant as at any point in that history.

I want to start with a simple observation. New Zealand is a trading nation. Not in the casual sense that politicians invoke when they want to sound economic – but fundamentally, and structurally.

One in four jobs in this country depends on our ability to sell to the world. A quarter of our GDP is generated offshore. We know that exporters pay higher wages at home and are more productive than domestically focused firms. We are geographically remote, domestically small, and globally dependent. That is not a problem to be solved. It is the defining condition of our economic prosperity.

And the system that has underwritten that economic life – the rules-based international trading order – is under more pressure than at any time since it was constructed after the Second World War.

The Global Trade Landscape
Two developments in the past twelve months have made that pressure acute.

The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted global supply chains in ways our exporters are feeling directly. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz – which carries around 20% of the world’s daily oil supply – has driven up fuel costs and made getting products to market harder and more expensive.

The ceasefire is welcome, but the situation remains fragile, and the impacts on our exporters are real. They are navigating challenges with sourcing key inputs, maintaining competitiveness in the face of rising production and distribution costs, and finding reliable routes to market.

And even before that conflict, our exporters were already navigating a fundamentally changed approach to tariff policy from the United States. And the US is not the only one. Just ask our dairy exporters to Canada. The major economies really are playing outside the rules with very sharp elbows. These shifts are the clearest signal yet of a broader global trend: we are moving from a world governed by shared rules to one increasingly shaped by power.
For a small trading nation, that shift matters more than it does for many other countries.

I want to be clear about the stakes. Our exports rose 11.8% last year in 2025 – growth that happened because Kiwi exporters are world class and consumers will pay a premium for what we produce. That is a remarkable achievement in a difficult environment.

But it is not an achievement we can take for granted. It depends on continued access to markets, continued investment in relationships, and a continued commitment to the rules that provide certainty and transparency and enable our exporters to compete on a level playing field.

Tonight I want to talk about how this Government is responding to that challenge. Not reactively. Not defensively. But with a clear plan. Our plan has three parts: 
•    shoring up and creating new rules that underpin our trade. 
•    building resilience so our exporters can weather disruption. 
•    and innovating – because in a world where the old rules are contested, New Zealand has to earn its seat at the table.

Shoring Up Trade Rules
For a small trading nation like New Zealand, the rules-based system has always mattered more to us than it does to the large economies that can apply asymmetrical bilateral leverage.

Kiwis believe in fairness and the rules deliver exactly that. They level the playing field. They give our exporters the certainty, the transparency, and the market access that no amount of diplomatic relationship-building can substitute for.

It is worth remembering that despite everything, 72% of world trade still takes place under WTO rules. The system is battered. But it is not broken – and New Zealand has a clear national interest in saving as much of the multilateral furniture as possible.

That said, we are pragmatic. Progress at a multilateral level moves slowly. Too slowly for our exporters, who need better and certain access now. Which is why this Government has invested heavily in free trade agreements – the bilateral and regional deals that lock in the access we need and provide certainty that WTO processes alone cannot deliver.

FTAs
In 2025, 71% of New Zealand’s exports were covered by 17 high-quality FTAs. That is not an accident. It reflects a sustained, deliberate investment in trade architecture over 25 years – and this Government has moved faster and further than any that came before.

The results are tangible. Since our EU FTA entered into force in May 2024, New Zealand’s exports to the EU have grown by NZ$3 billion. Our exports to the UK grew 13% in the year to December 2025, following the conclusion of our UK FTA. 
Our exports to the UAE have seen record growth of 33% following that agreement’s entry into force.

And we have now concluded a deal with India – the world’s soon-to-be third largest economy, with 1.4 billion people and within the next 5 years a middle class of 700 million. That’s greater than the entire population of the EU or ASEAN.

When our Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) agreement enters into force, 75% of New Zealand’s exports will be covered by FTAs. These are not theoretical gains. These are the binding international treaties that are the building blocks of long-term prosperity for New Zealand.

Shoring up trade rules is not only about securing new FTAs – equally important is investing in existing FTAs to make sure they continue to deliver for the evolving needs of our exporters. This means upgrading and expanding these FTAs. We upgrade them by negotiating new rules to meet the new issues and challenges our traders are grappling with – for example last year an upgrade negotiation for Asean- Australia New Zealand FTA (AANZFTA) was informed by the COVID supply shock experience and delivered outcomes which make trade of essential goods easier and more efficient during times of crises.

We are working energetically to expand our plurilateral FTAs through accession negotiations. This brings more economies within the umbrella of FTA rules our exporters rely on and provides new preferential market access. CPTPP already consists of 12 economies that represent around 16% of global GDP, and we have concluded accession negotiations with Costa Rica, with an ever-growing list of countries queueing up to join.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is the world’s biggest FTA globally by population and total GDP, and we are working to expand it further including into important markets where New Zealand does not currently have FTAs, such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

WTO
These agreements will continue to be an essential component of New Zealand’s economic resilience strategy. And we will continue to prioritise the WTO which provides the foundation for the global system of trade rules that matters so much to New Zealand.

But let me be direct about the WTO. The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference in Cameroon was deeply disappointing. And I say this as the Vice Chair of the Conference and as the facilitator for the negotiations on reform.

The absence of multilateral outcomes – extending WTO reform, on the e-commerce moratorium, on agriculture and fish subsidies – reflected the entrenched positions of major economies unwilling to compromise. That is a real setback, and we should not pretend otherwise.

New Zealand will not walk away. We will continue to be a constructive, pragmatic broker. We will continue to push on agricultural trade reform, harmful fisheries subsidies, trade-distorting industrial policy, and digital trade rules. Because in a world shifting from rules to power, every institution we can support and every norm we can embed makes New Zealand safer. The alternative – abandoning the multilateral system – is not an option for a country like ours. And we will invest in the institution. I am delighted that the 165 WTO members have endorsed the appointment of the New Zealand Ambassador to Geneva to lead the WTO peak body, the General Council.

Building Resilience
Trade rules alone are not enough. Our second pillar is resilience – the ability to keep New Zealand’s trade flowing when the system is under stress. I see our resilience agenda through three lenses: engagement with our exporters, diversification in our international relationships, and the unglamorous but high-value and critical work of removing non-tariff barriers.

Engaging our exporters
When the US tariff announcements hit, we moved immediately to get real-time information out to exporters and to hear from them directly. We have run regular, well-attended webinars since then. And MFAT’s website contains 754 market intelligence reports for New Zealand traders.

I have already done five India FTA roadshows around the country over the past few months with more to come. Getting out and hearing from our exporters and the public – not just in Auckland and Wellington, but across the regions – is one of the most valuable things I do as a Minister. It shapes our priorities and it builds trust.

We will continue to prioritise this kind of engagement, particularly in the current tumultuous environment. Kiwi exporters have shown time and again that they are resourceful and resilient. Our job is to make sure they have the information, the access, and the support they need to make the most of the opportunities we have secured for them.

Take for example an ice cream company that established a New Zealand and Asian plastic packaging supply chain following COVID 19.  Given the low stocks, they are now exploring how cardboard could be used instead.

Investing in relationships
This Government has prioritised both investing in our partnerships and diversifying our trade relationships.  This has included more international visits than any previous government in a parliamentary term to build and strengthen New Zealand’s relationships with key partners.  

Trade missions are about opening doors for New Zealand exporters – helping them build relationships, understand markets, and turn opportunities into real contracts, and the trade missions we’ve achieved to date have helped deliver over 200 commercial outcomes valued at more than NZ$2 billion. Those are not just numbers. They represent new connections, new contracts, and new confidence for Kiwi businesses in markets they might not have entered alone.

Our Saudi Arabia mission is a good example. We unlocked five commercial deals worth over $100 million. The 21 businesses who came with us opened doors in premium food, technology, services, construction, and the creative industries. Those doors opened because we showed up.  We invested in the relationship, and we demonstrated that New Zealand is a serious partner.

Our relationship with Singapore tells a similar story. New Zealand’s original trade agreement with Singapore was one of our first. We have invested in that relationship for over two decades. And that investment recently produced something genuinely new – the world’s first Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies, designed specifically to keep essential goods moving in times of crisis. It delivers better fuel predictability for New Zealand and food security for Singapore. 
It only became possible because we had built the relationship long before we needed it.

Not only have we prioritised engagement with our long-standing partnerships – such as Australia and the EU- but we are also future-proofing our trade resilience through diversification, which can help open alternative markets and sources of supplies.

This is why we saw the China market as a good opportunity back in 2008 – when no other developed country had an FTA with China. China is now New Zealand’s largest export market and the value of our exports to China has soared from between $2 to $3 billion to around $23 billion per annum.

Another approach we have taken to strengthening partnerships is through our leverage of CPTPP to establish formal dialogues with the EU and ASEAN – something the PM and I have prioritised in these challenging times.  This provides a valuable opportunity for large trade blocs (with the EU and CPTPP representing a third of global trade) to move on issues that are currently paralysed at the WTO.

And our partnerships with the Pacific, through the PACER Plus agreement, are essential to the prosperity and resilience of our region. That is why our government, alongside Australia, has invested NZD 38 million in Aid for Trade initiatives that strengthen countries’ trade capacity under the agreement.
I will also continue to strengthen relationships with Pacific Island Countries that have yet to join PACER Plus, including Fiji, because regional economic integration through trade makes us all more resilient.

Removing non-tariff barriers
Our relationships are also critical to resolve many of New Zealand’s non-tariff barriers (NTBs) – from certification requirements, labelling rules, testing regimes, to environmental regulations – these issues slow growth.

NTBs currently affect almost NZ$9 billion worth of New Zealand’s exports across more than 50 markets, and this government is committed to finding solutions. 
Last year alone, we resolved NTBs affecting around $600 million of exports. Some examples include unlocking access to China’s $200 million cosmetics and skincare market, signing and implementing a deer velvet arrangement with China providing market growth worth $64.5 million in the year to December 2024, and expanding access for New Zealand dairy products and blueberries to Korea worth $5 to $10 million, and $5 million, respectively.

We are also progressing a new plurilateral arrangement with like-minded partners to tackle NTBs in third markets cooperatively. This work does not generate headlines. But it directly affects whether Kiwi exporters can compete.

Innovation: Securing Our Seat at the Table
Our third pillar is innovation. I have heard the phrase: “New Zealand needs the world to trade, but the world doesn’t need New Zealand.” That just means we have to earn our place. And innovation is how we do that.

New Zealand has a record of bringing trade ideas to the world that larger countries haven’t thought of yet. The Digital Economy Partnership Agreement – DEPA – is a clear example. New Zealand, Singapore, and Chile created the world’s first standalone digital economy agreement, covering everything from business facilitation and digital trust through to AI and digital inclusion. The Republic of Korea has since joined. Costa Rica and Peru are seeking membership. That agreement started as an idea from three small, like-minded countries, and it is now shaping the architecture of global digital trade.

Similarly, we are working to maximise the commercial value of indigenous business connection through the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement (IPECTA).

Our leadership in institutions like APEC, the OECD, and the Small Advanced Economies’ Initiative has gradually found its way into the hard rules of agreements like CPTPP. That is how small countries shape the world.

We are building on that legacy with the Green Economy Partnership Agreement. Working with Chile and Singapore, GEPA will make the green transition easier for producers, exporters, and investors, and position Kiwi businesses to compete in a global green economy projected to be worth US$11 trillion by 2040.

And through the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership – FIT-P – New Zealand is working with 16 like-minded, trade-dependent economies with a global reach ranging from Norway to Rwanda to Malaysia. Our approach is to cooperate on practical solutions for supply chains, paperless trade, non-tariff barriers, and trade-distorting subsidies. This initiative came about when I got together with trade colleagues from Switzerland, Singapore and the UAE. We knew we needed to find a way to support each other, reinforce the rules-based system, and work together to create new rules that give our traders more certainty.

Most recently at MC14, Eleven FIT-P members released a Joint Statement on maintaining open and resilient supply chains given the impact on global trade of the Middle East conflict. New Zealand and these FIT partners have committed to working together to identify disruptions to the trade of essential goods and exchanging information on how we will approach and mitigate these.

I will host my fellow trade ministers at the next FIT-P Ministerial in Auckland later this year. That is a leadership role, and we intend to use it to find new ways to support our exporters and their jobs, incomes and productivity in New Zealand.

The Long Game
Our goal is ambitious: to double the value of New Zealand’s exports in ten years. That requires growth in trade relationships – but it also requires growth in investment.

New Zealand is well below the OECD average for foreign direct investment as a share of GDP. That gap has a direct cost in productivity and wages. That is why this Government established InvestNZ – New Zealand’s first dedicated foreign investment agency – to attract more capital into sectors with the highest growth potential: renewable energy, technology, data infrastructure, advanced manufacturing. More capital means higher productivity. Higher productivity means better wages for New Zealanders.

And we are also seeing our export base diversify in ways that are genuinely exciting. Technology, commercial services, and education are growing fast. Companies like Auror – which exports retail crime prevention software to Australia, the UK, and North America – and Halter, exporting high-tech livestock management solutions globally, are proving that New Zealand innovation can compete anywhere. These are exactly the kinds of businesses we want to see more of, in more markets, with more support behind them.

We also want to venture deeper into global markets that are bursting with opportunities – like Latin America, which is fast becoming a key growth market for New Zealand exporters, with our exports to the region rising by 41% since 2021.  

This Government has already started making inroads – the Minister of Foreign Affairs led a Parliamentary and large business delegation to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay earlier this year to strengthen our partnerships, deepen our people-to-people links, and boost our profile.  

The visit was a huge success, with a range of New Zealand exporters announcing new commercial agreements with companies in Argentina – fostering connections, and growing partnerships.  

We’re also exploring additional markets in Asia and looking at opportunities in Africa.  Diversification is not just an economic strategy – it is insurance.

Conclusion
Let me finish with this.

The world New Zealand trades in today is harder and much more uncertain than the one we were trading in five years ago. The rules are more contested. The relationships are more complex. The disruptions are more frequent. I do not expect that to change anytime soon.

But this is not a new challenge for a country like ours. New Zealand has always had to work that much harder and smarter than larger economies to secure and protect its access to markets. We have always had to be more creative, more constructive, more persistent, and more present.

What this Government has done is bring that same mindset – and more energy, and more urgency – to the task.

That’s why this Government has run more trade missions than any previous administration in a parliamentary term.

That’s why this Government established New Zealand’s first dedicated investment agency.

Because 400 million people around the world get around 10% of their diet from New Zealand. Our farmers, our food producers, our tech companies, and our service exporters are among the best in the world. They deserve a government that fights for them on the world stage.

We are fighting for them. And we are not finished.
 

MIL OSI

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 May 2026 – IMBA Theatre, Singapore’s first-ever attraction at Gardens by the Bay dedicated to art, storytelling and immersive experiences, has partnered with FOMO Pay to deliver a seamless, inclusive payment experience for its diverse local and international audiences. This partnership underscores a shared commitment to universal accessibility: while IMBA brings world-class arts and culture to a global audience, FOMO Pay provides the seamless payment infrastructure to make those experiences inclusive for all.

A Stage for Every Story

Located within Singapore’s iconic Gardens by the Bay and just steps from Marina Bay Sands, IMBA Theatre is a cultural space where education, entertainment and culture exist in one space. Every show is designed not only to immerse and engage, but to spark curiosity and leave visitors with something new to think about.

Michael Lee, CEO, IMBA, said, “At IMBA, we are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of how technology and big ideas intersect to make culture accessible to people of all walks of life. By integrating FOMO Pay’s world-class digital payment solutions at our venue, we are ensuring that our visitors can engage with our exhibits through a seamless, contactless, and future-ready payment ecosystem.”

The 80,000 sq ft space includes two purpose-built black box theatres with cutting-edge technology, a dedicated gallery for exhibitions, a retail merchandise store, a wellness dining concept, and an immersive cultural zone by Prudential Singapore. Officially launched on 21 April 2026, IMBA Theatre currently houses the world’s first tri-format presentation featuring works by celebrated Colombian artist Maestro Fernando Botero, jointly presented with the Fernando Botero Foundation; and Lightroom’s David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away), currently the only place in Southeast Asia where audiences can experience the show. Beyond international productions, IMBA actively nurtures Singapore’s local arts talents, giving homegrown artists and creators a platform alongside world-renowned works.

Built for Everyone Who Walks Through the Door

As the only immersive theatre of its scale in Southeast Asia, IMBA welcomes a diverse and international audience. Serving them means making every part of the visitor journey seamless, including how they pay.

FOMO Pay’s FOMO AI Soundbox is Singapore’s first compact payment and merchant intelligence device, consolidating cards, PayNow, e-wallets, and stablecoins into a single terminal. Instant audio confirmations keep queues moving efficiently, even during peak visit periods. Built with an integrated microphone and an AI-powered merchant intelligence layer in development, the device also enables IMBA’s team to surface operational insights in real time, supporting faster, smarter decision-making across rotating shows and exhibitions.

“Art and culture have the power to connect people across languages, backgrounds, and borders, and the experiences built around them should reflect that,” said Louis Liu, Founder and CEO of FOMO Pay. “Our partnership with IMBA reflects what FOMO Pay is built to do, and that is to make payments simple, so visitors can focus fully on the experience itself.”

Two Brands, One Vision

The partnership between IMBA and FOMO Pay brings together two organisations with a shared belief that great experiences should be open to everyone. While IMBA works to make arts and culture accessible to all, FOMO Pay ensures the payment experience is equally inclusive, familiar to visitors regardless of where they come from. As IMBA continues to grow its regional footprint, FOMO Pay is proud to support that journey.

https://www.fomopay.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/fomo-pay/
https://x.com/FOMOPayOfficial

Hashtag: #DigitalPayment #DigitalBanking #DigitalAsset #FinTech #AgenticPayments #AI

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

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

This time last year Taranaki surfer Tom Butland could not walk – now he is preparing to take on the best in the world.

Butland will line up at the New Zealand Pro in Raglan this week, in a landmark moment for New Zealand surfing as the country hosts its first World Surf League championship tour event.

The 24-year-old could find himself sharing the water the likes of Brazilian stars Gabriel Medina and Miguel and Samuel Pupo, as well as defending world champion Yago Dora.

But only a few months ago, getting back to full fitness was his biggest goal.

Butland spent most of 2025 off the water after badly injuring his knee while surfing. Then, just as he was recovering, another accident left him facing an even longer road back.

“It’s hard to even picture, this time last year I couldn’t walk, so it’s crazy to be back and in a comp as big as this,” Butland told RNZ.

He first tore the MCL in his knee while out on the water. During rehab, a mountain bike accident tore the AC joint in his shoulder, broke his elbow and both scapulars, and left him concussed.

The recovery was long and frustrating, but the prospect of New Zealand hosting a World Surf League event helped fuel his comeback.

“It certainly lit a fire under me to go hard and try and qualify for Raglan. I wasn’t really surfing at a great level until probably the middle of December when I started to get my feet back because I had to trust all the injuries and get mind over matter.”

His place in the WSL field to compete at Manu Bay was confirmed in April when he won the wildcard qualifying event.

The injuries also changed the way he viewed competition.

“Going away and trying to improve your craft and then coming back and focusing on competing again was quite healthy.”

He was in Australia for the recent WSL stop at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast, where he got an early taste of the atmosphere he’ll experience in Raglan.

“I did a lot of free surfing around the pros so I could get the vibe of what it was like to be around them. It’s super competitive, the energy is definitely different around the pros.

“It’s intense they’re all on a mission to be world champion and the way the approach even a practice session is so different to what I’m use to.

“It’s made me excited.”

Despite the scale of the occasion, Butland said he would still approach the New Zealand Pro like any other event.

“Nothing changes, just keep it solid, nothing to prove other than proving something to myself.”

Butland will need to progress from a preliminary round to make the main draw, but said that up against the world’s top 32 surfers, every heat will feel like a final.

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

SANTIAGO, CHILE – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 May 2026 – XTransfer, the world’s leading B2B cross-border trade payment platform, participated in the Chile Fintech Forum 2026 as Platinum sponsor and introduced X-Net in Latin America for the first time. X-Net is a globally unified B2B cross-border settlement network and risk management platform designed to connect banks and financial institutions with SMEs, supporting more efficient, secure, and inclusive cross-border payment solutions as China–Latin America trade continues to expand.

Despite rising trade volumes, SMEs still faced “last-mile” friction in cross-border payments. Fragmented domestic rails and local banking practices often required payments to pass through multiple intermediaries and currencies, increasing cost, processing time, and operational failure points. Reliance on USD settlement further added double-conversion fees and FX constraints that could trap working capital and reduce margin predictability. Meanwhile, tighter fraud controls and stricter Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements made compliance checks more complex and harder to scale, which could leave legitimate businesses facing friction with onboarding difficulties, account restrictions, or frozen funds.

Introducing X-Net
XTransfer developed X-Net as an infrastructure purpose-built for B2B cross-border trade. The hybrid network works with regulators, banks, and payment institutions to advance standards for fund-flow design, product integration, and risk control. As a settlement and risk-control layer linking financial institutions to import-export enterprises, X-Net aims to standardise collections, payouts, and compliance workflows across participants, helping SMEs access secure, compliant, and seamless payment infrastructure once reserved for multinationals.

The LatAm market potential
Latin America is growing and upgrading fast. XTransfer data shows collections from the region rose 94% year-on-year in 2025, outpacing China’s 8% export growth there and signalling a shift toward secure, compliant collections. The XTransfer Export PMI, a sample survey of XTransfer’s 800,000 SME users, selecting over 3,000 companies nationwide, also points to strong fundamentals, with Latin America’s export order index at 56.47 and price index at 57.81 in March 2026, above global readings of 53.85 and 56.15.

Violas Xiao, Singapore and LatAm CEO of XTransfer, said, “Emerging markets are central to XTransfer’s expansion, and in Latin America. Next, we’ll deepen coverage in Brazil and Mexico while expanding into growth markets like Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Argentina, improving minor-currency liquidity and risk automation so SMEs can pay and collect more predictably and compliantly.”

https://www.xtransfer.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtransfer.cn
https://x.com/xtransferglobal
https://www.facebook.com/XTransferGlobal/
https://www.instagram.com/xtransfer.global

Hashtag: #XTransfer #Chile #FintechForum #Crossborder #Payment #SMEs

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

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

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

MIL OSI

Ultra Processed foods are designed and marketed in ways that encourage people to keep choosing them, despite knowing they are unhealthy.

A new University of Auckland study finds companies making ultra-processed foods, often called junk food, design and market these products to encourage people to eat more and more of them.

Led by Dr Joshua Clark, the study reviewed ten years of international research to create detailed diagrams showing how these foods are formulated and promoted.

The diagrams were developed through group discussions, repeated revisions and a two-day workshop with experts in food science, marketing and systems research. See Obesity Reviews: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/obr.70135

“What we found were several reinforcing feedback loops, which all drive consumption and purchasing,” says Clark.

“Our biology and our behaviour are at the centre of this system, which goes some way to explaining why, as populations, we are pretty hooked on these foods.

“These UPF manufacturers are very clever at this, because it makes them money.”

It is likely New Zealanders consume half of their diet as ultra-processed foods, in line with other developed countries, researchers say.

A recent global report in the Lancet found ultra-processed foods are causing rising rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other long-term illnesses.

Clark says New Zealand has many options to respond to this health threat.

“So many countries have now implemented taxes on sugary food and drink, regulations on advertising to children, strong front-of-pack labelling programmes, as well as lobbying transparency policies that keep the political playing-field fair.

“We don’t have to be the trailblazers with this one, we just have to follow some of the great work and leadership coming out of places like Latin America.”

Professor Boyd Swinburn, a population nutrition researcher and co-author, says New Zealand has done nothing about its high intake of UPFs.

“Half the world has taxes on sugary drinks but for some reason, political timidity and fear of the UPF industry has meant that we have zero strategies in place to deal with our epidemic of rising obesity.”

The new study proposes that high consumption of ultra-processed food is not just about personal choice, but instead, the result of a system carefully designed to take advantage of how people think, feel and behave.

The researchers found ultra-processed food companies use a combination of strategies, including:

ingredients such as sugar, fat and salt that drive cravings
using people’s online data to target advertising
cartoons and characters aimed at children
strong branding to build loyalty
placing outlets strategically, e.g., near schools and in areas where there is already high UPF consumption
positioning products in high-traffic areas of stores
processing methods that supress the body’s natural feeling of fullness

“It isn’t just one tactic, there are quite a few pieces that are interconnected to increase our exposure to their advertising, to their products,” says Clark.

“Then the foods are designed to be so convenient, so appealing and generally the easier choice for many people, and all of this, when it’s interlinked, makes us really crave and over-consume UPFs, and, unfortunately, experience the negative health effects from eating them.”

The research highlights how people become trapped in this system.

“We all hate to be manipulated by big businesses,” says Clark.

“I think shining a light on this is an opportunity to get people to care about it as an issue and to ask, advocate, and demand for governmental policy action to disrupt this system and rebuild a food environment that serves and nourishes us, not the balance sheets of international corporations.”

Senior author Dr Kelly Garton, a senior research fellow in the University’s School of Population Health, says UPF companies learned important lessons from the tobacco industry in the 1980s and 90s.

Research shows US tobacco companies bought food and drink businesses and used their knowledge of flavours and child-focused marketing to help develop sugary drinks and products that combine salt, fat and sugar to trigger strong reward responses in the brain. See BMJ.

Combined with chemical flavourings, these products became ‘hyper palatable’ and designed to be over-eaten. See Addiction.

There is earlier evidence showing how heavily marketed these products are in New Zealand, especially in ways that target children, young people and parents. See Evidence Brief.

What this research adds
Clark says the study identifies many reinforcing feedback loops that keep consumption high.

“Many of these exploit parts of our human biology, psychology, behaviours and social patterns to drive purchasing and consumption of their products.

“Our social norms, daily routines, cultural practices, taste preferences and even our brains’ rewards systems have been captured and conditioned as part of this system to make us crave and overconsume UPFs, meanwhile allowing the health harms as collateral damage.”

The authors call for New Zealand and other countries to implement policies recommended by the World Health Organization to reduce UPF consumption.

What other countries have done

Sugar-sweetened beverage taxes in 120 countries around the world
Front-of-pack nutrition warning labels
Brazil limits ultra-processed food in school food programmes
In Chile, ultra-processed foods high in salt, fat or sugar cannot be marketed to children
Colombia has taxes on ultra-processed products and sugary drinks.

MIL OSI

Explainer – The internet is filling with panic about hantavirus, but is it really as dangerous as Covid-19? Here’s what we know so far.

Three deaths and several infections on a cruise ship off South America has raised alarms for many, in a world where some are still mentally and physically recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is not going to be another coronavirus pandemic, from all we know about this agent,” said epidemiologist Michael Baker – a man who knows his pandemics and was one of New Zealand’s most prominent experts during Covid-19.

“This is not another Covid,” World Health Organisation Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has also said. “The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low.”

What’s happening with this outbreak? Could it come to New Zealand?

Three people have died and at least six others appear to be infected after an outbreak of hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was travelling around South America last month.

Passengers on the cruise ship have been evacuated in the Canary Islands. One New Zealander has been confirmed to be among them.

That person will eventually return home.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that “we are providing consular assistance to a New Zealander on board the MV Hondius. This will include repatriation assistance.”

MFAT indicated no further information on the New Zealander would be provided for privacy reasons.

“We currently have no reason to believe that any New Zealanders have contracted hantavirus,” said Dr Richard Jaine, deputy director of public health for the Ministry of Health.

“However, it is important that we respond appropriately and take all possible steps to manage any potential risk to individuals or the public.”

The person may likely face precautions on their return to New Zealand.

“Depending on the risk it is possible this may also include a period of quarantine for any exposed individual on their return to New Zealand.”

What is a 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.

Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a severe respiratory illness that can develop, has a case fatality rate up to 50 percent. It’s the same thing that killed Betsy Arakawa, the wife of the late actor Gene Hackman, last year.

“The (hantavirus) in the Americas are particularly dangerous because they have a fatality rate of about 40 percent,” Baker told RNZ Afternoons. “They’re very unpleasant infections if you get them.”

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.

“A Dutch couple, who unfortunately have now died, probably got infected in Argentina, and the other thing that was very bad luck was that the Andean species of this hantavirus is the only one that has occasionally caused person to person transmission,” Baker said.

How is it transmitted?

Hantavirus is contracted from direct contact with urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents, or rarely through rodent bites.

But the Andes variant has shown some ability to move between humans in certain conditions.

“Andes virus has demonstrated limited human-to-human transmission in previous outbreaks, typically occurring among close contacts and within household settings, generally requiring prolonged close exposure,” WHO’s database states.

However, Covid-19 is a far more efficient airborne respiratory virus that spreads much easier than hantavirus does.

Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is rare and requires prolonged and direct exposure to a case, Jaine said.

“This isn’t like the flu or Covid-19.”

Cruise ships have often been incubators for diseases and outbreaks.

Baker said the combination of the Andes hantavirus and cramped quarters on board a ship have made for a “really bad sequence of events”.

“The ship environment presents an increased risk due to close living quarters, shared indoor spaces, prolonged exposure, and frequent interpersonal interactions, all of which may facilitate transmission,” WHO wrote.

Health authorities in several countries have also been tracking passengers who had already disembarked and anyone who may have come into contact with them.

The lengthy incubation time of the virus – as long as eight weeks – could also complicate efforts to contain the disease.

So is this really going to be Covid-19 part 2?

The general consensus for now is that while it’s worrying and health authorities are paying close attention, this isn’t the same kind of quick-spreading disease Covid was.

“It has all those echoes from a very tough period in our history,” Back said, with an infection that’s come from an animal to humans. But it’s not the same kind of illness.

“It’s very different. They’re usually very hard to catch. There are several hundred cases a year but they are linked to rodents.”

The images of masked medical workers and return of contract tracing is bringing back memories of the pandemic for many people. “Covid PTSD” is a real thing, with people anxious about a return to lockdowns and cracking dad jokes on social media about stocking up on toilet paper.

Is there any danger of it turning into a global pandemic?

So far, the advice is not to panic.

“This is not the start of an epidemic. This is not the start of a pandemic,” Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, director of WHO’s Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Management, said at a press conference.

“I think it’s very important that listeners are not overly concerned about this particular outbreak … It is being very well managed,” Baker said.

Viruses do mutate, so health authorities are taking the hantavirus situation very seriously, Baker said.

“They’ll certainly be looking at it to see if it has changed in any way.”

For the passengers on the ship, “precautions being taken are very intense,” he said.

“Anyone being evacuated is going to be treated as if they are quite infectious.”

WHO’s emergency alert and response director Abdi Rahman Mahamud told AFP he believed any further spread would be “a limited outbreak” if “public health measures are implemented and solidarity shown across all countries.”

WHO has said it advises against implementing any travel or trade restrictions based on current information about the hantavirus.

The majority of the approximately 150 passengers and crew on board the cruise ship appear not to have contracted the virus.

“If it was highly infectious it wouldn’t just be maybe half a dozen people infected on this ship,” Baker said.

“You’d see a high proportion of people on board showing some evidence of infection.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

[embedded content]

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

The buyer of a record-breaking bull says it’s delivering strong returns nearly a year after a landmark purchase.

Last June Wairarapa farmer Keith Higgins paid $161,000 for an Angus bull from a renowned Gisborne stud.

Ahead of this season’s autumn bull sales Higgins told RNZ, despite the eye watering price tag, his top sire was worth every cent.

He’s satisfied with the purchase which set the national price record.

“Everything’s gone extremely well,” Higgins said.

“He’s parked in the paddock here, he’s had a great season with his females.”

Higgins bought Tangihau U418 at auction during the East Coast Angus bull week – which generated $8.6 million, up nearly $3.7m on the year before.

During the auction he outbid the competition, with plans to take the bull home to his Oregon Angus farm near Masterton for its breeding and artificial insemination programme.

So how could he tell it was the right match?

“It depends how you can get that bull to blend in with your programme,” Higgins said.

“For us this bull was exactly the style with what we breed with now in our females, but he’s an an outcross, he’s a different bloodline.

“That was the big attraction, not just his quality and type.”

This sales season Higgins won’t be getting his chequebook out after downsizing from 570 hectares to a smaller 60 hectare property.

“I’ll be having a pretty quiet season this year,” he said.

“I don’t really require a big high-priced bull because I’ve sold all my cows. I’m just looking for a couple of yearling bulls. I’m taking all my calves with me to my smaller block.”

“There’s a lot of confidence in the sheep and beef industry and it’s fantastic to see it,” he said.

“There’s plenty of great feeling and I hope it continues for a few years yet because we need it.”

PGG Wrightson auctioneer Neville Clark said he remembers the excitement of the auction day.

“That’s all you really want. You want to buy a bull and two months later, five or six months later say ‘I bought the bull I wanted and I’m happy.’ That’s the perfect result.”

Autumn bull sales season upon us

Last year’s sales attracted big crowds, full clearances and staggering prices.

Auctions are now kicking off with sales around the country through until late next month.

“You look at what’s happening around the world with beef cow numbers,” Clark said.

“We’ve got the three biggest countries in the world going into a herd rebuild – America, Australia and Brazil. So the situation for our beef looks exceptional.”

Clark said there’s growing interest in online bidding, but most farmers prefer to attend an auction in person.

But if that doesn’t suit, they can arrange an inspection ahead of the sales day.

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

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

Police are investigating a complaint of a sex attack in an Auckland hotel linked to a visiting international footballer in March.

The NZ Herald reports the case involved a player from the Cape Verde football team during a four-team FIFA series, also involving New Zealand, Finland and Chile.

“Police can confirm an allegation is under investigation, reported to us on 10 April 2026 in central Auckland,” a police spokesperson told RNZ.

“We are unable to comment further at this time.”

RNZ has also approached NZ Football for comment.

The tournament from March 27-30 was part of the All Whites’ build-up towards next month’s FIFA World Cup in North America. The home side lost 2-0 to Finland, but beat Chile 4-1.

Ranked 69th in the world, Cape Verde have qualified for the World Cup as one of nine African teams, after winning a group that included Cameroon, Libya, Angola, Mauritius and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland).

They will be based in Tampa, Florida, and will contest a pool featuring Spain, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.

During their visit to New Zealand, they lost 4-2 to Chile and drew 1-1 with Finland, both games at Auckland’s Eden Park.

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

MIL OSI

The official 2026 FIFA World Cup song will be performed by Shakira.

The 49-year-old Colombian pop star unveiled a teaser of her official song on her Instagram account.

The song also featured Nigerian singer Burna Boy.

Shakira is among the world’s best-selling musicians and her hits include Whenever, Wherever and Hips Don’t Lie.

The video on her post is set at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium.

The track will officially be launched on 14 May.

It is Shakira’s second official World Cup song after Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) for the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

Shakira’s country, Colombia, are playing at the 48-team tournament that runs from 11 June to 19 July.

New Zealand is in Group G with Belgium, Egypt and Iran.

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

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

New Zealand is exporting much of its premium product – and then importing cheaper options for New Zealand shoppers, economists say.

Pak’nSave’s move to sell United States butter more cheaply than local butter has prompted conversations about how it is possible for imported items can be offered at a lower price than those produced in the country.

But trade data shows that butter is far from the only item that has a higher price when it’s made in New Zealand.

Cat and dog food was cheaper when imported. Dog biscuits – most imported from Australia, Canada, and China – were 87.6 percent cheaper than the export price of New Zealand products.

Water with added flavouring was also 25 percent cheaper when brought in from countries like the United States than the local product was exported.

Jams and marmalades were 21.9 percent cheaper when imported – often from Chile and Poland.

We also import cheaper wine than we export – among still wines, imported products were 25 percent cheaper. Australian wines were 54 percent of imports.

Confectionary, including white chocolate, was 37.8 percent cheaper when imported, mostly from Australia and China. Sweet biscuits were 64.4 percent cheaper imported, usually from Australia,

Some beef and lamb cuts imported for New Zealand consumers were also cheaper than those exported.

“We’re quite often exporting premium products to a premium market segment, whereas we’re importing the commodity stuff for the mass market,” economist Shamubeel Eaqub said.

“It’s picking up that difference in what we export versus what we consume. But it still begs the question, if we’re so good at making these things, why is it that we can’t have some of those other products, as well? Why is it that we’re reliant on imports? It’s not necessarily a good or bad thing, it’s just a question.

“I think to me it raises the question of is it really not possible to produce pet food for our pets in New Zealand given all the bobby calves we have? The fact we’re importing beef from Aussie and lamb from Aussie… I’m driving through Southland at the moment and seeing a lot of cows and sheep.”

He said there was a “spaghetti junction” of food going out and food coming in to meet different needs.

Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold said it was probably driven by economies of scale.

“It could be that these things are being manufactured in large facilities in Australia or up in Asia. They just have that economy of scale, perhaps reflecting lower input costs as well if these are energy-intensive products.

“Canned vegetables, fruit juice things like that… you wouldn’t automatically think that these would be energy-intensive processes but they kind of are. Countries like China are quite competitive because their costs of production are lower.”

He said New Zealand wine would be more of a premium product than much of the product that was being imported more cheaply.

“If you had it broken down by colour, I bet you would find that if we export red wine it’s probably pinot noir, but it would be more expensive than the typical red wine that would be imported into this country.

“In some of these industries if we’re exporting it’s because we’re a niche or premium end of the market.”

ANZ economist Matt Dilly said it would help to think of how competitive New Zealand was in various products. “I’d say most of our wine exports are in a category that I’d call affordable luxury. A typical bottle maybe $20 a bottle, maybe a bit less, maybe a bit more. But we do import a lot of cheaper wine from Australia. I think that’s a situation where we have a competitive advantage. We make excellent wine and export a lot of it but that doesn’t mean there are zero imports.

“We do import beef and lamb even though we’re really great at that. We import some cheese and some of those varieties we don’t make ourselves, especially European varieties.

“This framework about what we’re competitive in and what’s easily traded, there’s always going to be exceptions.”

“We import a lot of wheat, a lot of pork, vegetable oil. So these are things that are really tradable that, we don’t have a great competitive advantage in like we do for dairy and some of our other large products.

“Then there’s those other things that are naturally very difficult to trade, especially from an island country. So we make really good eggs, but we don’t export them because they’re fragile and perishable… have a (pretty robust two-way trade with Australia, going in both directions across the Tasman and, and that’s a function of our shared food safety system. So that’s something that’s really good for processed food products rather than the raw materials.”

Sign up for Money with Susan Edmunds, a weekly newsletter covering all the things that affect how we make, spend and invest money.

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