For the first time in her career, CJ Bott has had to learn how to lead without crossing the white line.

The Wellington Phoenix captain has spent much of the club’s breakthrough A-League season watching from the sidelines, since her https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/584796/phoenix-captain-cj-bott-announces-pregnancy pregnancy announcement] i January.

There was never any chance she would miss Saturday’s grand final against Melbourne City at AAMI Park though.

“I’m definitely travelling,” Bott said. “You wouldn’t be able to hold me at home just yet.

“I’ve still got a few more weeks until I’m medically unable to travel, so I’m making the most of it. I’ll be there with bells and whistles, and I’ll lose my voice screaming on the sidelines.”

Bott played seven matches at the start of the season, before stepping away from playing duties, remaining involved with the squad in an off-field leadership role, as the Phoenix surged to the first grand final in the team’s five-year history.

She described her second season with the Phoenix was “definitely a different season”.

“It started off well, being on the field, and then having to take a step back, because of the pregnancy, it took a little bit to get used to and was a tough pill to swallow in many ways, because all I want to do is be out there and doing my part with the team.

“I think as the season’s progressed, and our new signings have stepped up and really embraced their roles, and the rest of the girls have also stepped up, they’ve done such an incredible job.

“I mean, there’s been some nailbiting moments of the season, but overall, they’ve done incredibly well and I’m just so proud of how they’ve handled the season.”

Coach Bev Priestman was determined to keep Bott closely involved this season, because of her leadership and experience within the group.

“It did take a little while to see where I best fit into that role, because I wanted to give [Mackenzie Barry] the time and the space and the energy and support to do her role as captain as well.

“It’s taken a bit of adjustment, but I think now I’ve figured out where I’m best fitted, and I really just try and support the girls in whatever way and whatever capacity they need me.”

Defender Emma Pijnenburg, who replaced Bott in the squad, said the Football Ferns international remained an influential figure within the team.

“She just has this aura and, when she speaks in the circle, everybody is hanging on to every word,” Pijnenburg said. “She has a lot of experience as well, a senior player in the team, and she brings a lot to the team, whether she is on the field or not,” .

The Phoenix finished the season in second place and came from behind to win the two-legged semifinal against Brisbane Roar to secure the grand final match-up, but Bott said it was not all plain sailing to get to the pinnacle game of the season.

“I don’t think it’s a shock, given the team we had at the start of the season, but based on all our injuries and unfortunate events that have occurred during the season, it is somewhat of a surprise that we’ve somehow managed to keep our heads above water and still perform, given all the difficulties this team’s been through.

“The season has been so important towards the development of women’s football in this country, in this city specifically, and I’m so excited to see what can happen in the weekend.”

Watching from the sidelines has not come naturally to Bott.

“I hate it,” she said. “It is so hard just sitting there and not being able to do anything, but I’ve had to embrace it.

“I’ve got no other choice in the matter and the girls need me no matter what. I’ve just had to bite my nails quietly and just be their biggest cheerleader.”

Bott arrived at her hometown club last season, after eight years playing professionally in Germany, Sweden, Norway and England, and was surprised by the level of professionalism at the Phoenix.

“I didn’t quite know what to expect coming in,” she said. “I knew they had access to world-class facilities, but I think that’s one thing, having the backing from the wider club and having the staff involved.

“Our staff are incredible, they are probably some of the most professional staff I’ve ever had.

“Besides the fact that a lot of our girls have to, unfortunately, work two jobs, it is the most professional environment I’ve probably been a part of and it’s the most enjoyable environment I’ve been a part of in a long, long time.”

Bott is off contract at the end of this season and definitely has plans to return to football in the future, and “absolutely” would like that to be with the Phoenix.

Before she can think about her playing future, she will have to handle a few more “nervewracking” moments in the stands, as the Phoenix women play for the club’s first piece of silverware.

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– 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.

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

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 May 2026 – Fuutura has introduced a unified trading protocol that combines self-custody, on-chain identity, and access to multiple asset classes within one connected architecture. At the centre of the design sits a single rule: each user verifies once, holds their own keys throughout, and operates independently across every product the platform offers.

Where much of the crypto industry has pursued visibility through disconnected tools running on competing chains, Fuutura has worked outside the spotlight for years. The team has been engineering the foundational infrastructure required to deliver financial access to the billions whose participation has been blocked by the legacy system.

The launch brings three products to market under the Fuutura name. Fuutura Identity, Fuutura Wallet, and Fuutura Trade have each been designed to stand alone while reinforcing the capabilities of the others.

Fuutura Trade has been described by the team as the trading layer crypto has spent fifteen years trying to build. The protocol is non-custodial and multi-chain, engineered for traders unwilling to compromise on architecture. On-chain execution. Cross-chain liquidity. A revolutionary single environment for the full range of on-chain digital assets: cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, governance and utility tokens, liquid staking tokens, wrapped assets, LP tokens, and other digital and tokenised assets. The protocol already knows the trader is verified, recognises the keys they hold, and trusts them to act on their own behalf.

No platform-managed orderbook. No off-chain matching. No third party with the keys.

The protocol works for the trader. Not the venue. Not the custodian. Not the intermediary.

That’s the difference.

“We didn’t set out to build another exchange. We set out to build the trading layer that’s missing from crypto. Non-custodial, on-chain, multi-chain, with identity attestation handled at the protocol layer rather than at every product. Once you build that architecture, the rest of the ecosystem becomes possible. Wallet, Identity, Trade. They all run on the same foundation, and that’s why the protocol can recognise the user and trust them to act on their own behalf without intermediaries getting in the way,” said Ellis McGrath, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Fuutura.

The Fuutura Identity product sits beneath the wider ecosystem as its trust layer. Verification runs through biometric authentication and liveness detection, paired with document recognition and AML screening, before producing an on-chain attestation linked directly to the user’s wallet. That attestation is then recognised across every product Fuutura operates. A single verification covers all subsequent interactions, with compliance happening within the protocol rather than at the entry to each individual product.

This is what gives Trade the ability to identify its user without running KYC a second time. It is also what allows Wallet to function with no intermediary involvement. Identity becomes the architecture itself.

Fuutura Wallet sits at the centre of the ecosystem as its custody and control layer. The wallet is non-custodial and multi-chain. Users retain their keys, direct the movement of their assets, and authorise their own transactions. It operates across blockchains and serves as the entry point to every Fuutura product, without surrendering custody to a third party at any stage.

The principle is simple: ownership is not delegated.

“The promise of crypto has always been that users could participate in finance without giving up custody, identity, or access. The reason that promise hasn’t delivered is that the architecture wasn’t there. Identity, custody, and execution have lived in separate places, and the user has paid the cost. Fuutura is being built so they live in one place, at the protocol layer, where they belong,” said Oliver Cook, Co-founder of Fuutura.

Three products are ready for launch. Additional products are under active development, each engineered to broaden identity usage, deepen wallet integration, and expand the reach of the ecosystem as Fuutura scales.

This is the broader vision Fuutura is working toward: a compliance-first financial ecosystem designed to deliver inclusion at a global scale, with the user positioned at its centre.

Digital asset risk.

Digital assets are high-risk and their value may fall as well as rise. Trading digital assets involves significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

Forward-looking statements.

This document contains forward-looking statements regarding Fuutura, its technology, products, business plans and future conduct, including statements relating to the phased rollout of the ecosystem, regulatory engagement and licensing outcomes, geographic expansion, and market ambitions. Forward-looking statements are identifiable by words such as “building,” “plans,” “intends,” “expects,” “designed to,” “anticipates” and similar expressions, as well as by statements regarding future outcomes, ambitions or strategic direction.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those expressed. These include, without limitation, changes in the regulatory environment across jurisdictions; the availability and timing of licensing or authorisation; developments in digital asset markets; technological and cybersecurity risks; operational risks; counterparty and third-party risks; the pace of product development; and other factors beyond Fuutura’s control.

No offer or advice.

Nothing in this document constitutes an offer to sell, a solicitation to purchase, investment advice, or a recommendation in respect of any digital asset, crypto-asset, token, security, or financial product or instrument. Fuutura’s products and services may not be available in all jurisdictions and may be subject to regulatory restrictions. Access to Fuutura’s platform is restricted to residents of jurisdictions where its services are permitted.

No duty to update.

Fuutura undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

Restricted Jurisdictions.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO, OR USE BY, PERSONS IN RESTRICTED JURISDICTIONS.

This communication is directed exclusively at persons outside, and must not be acted upon by any person in or resident of, the United Kingdom, the European Union or European Economic Area (including Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), Switzerland, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Japan, any FATF-listed high-risk or monitored jurisdiction, or any jurisdiction subject to comprehensive United Nations, European Union, United Kingdom or United States sanctions (the “Restricted Jurisdictions”). It is not an offer, solicitation, inducement or recommendation in respect of any digital asset, token, security or financial product. Fuutura holds no regulatory authorisation in any Restricted Jurisdiction; its products and services are not available to persons in or resident of any Restricted Jurisdiction; and access to Fuutura’s platform is restricted at the onboarding and protocol level.

https://fuutura.com/

Hashtag: #Fuutura

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

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

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.

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– 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

• Innomotics wins several orders to provide motor and drive technology for eLNG projects, totaling a volume in the higher double-digit million EUR range
• Innomotics advances electrification of LNG production with eLNG solutions based on electric drive systems
• Significant operational, environmental, and financial benefits compared to conventional turbine-based LNG plants
• Enables decarbonization and supports global transition to sustainable energy systems

NUREMBERG, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 11 May 2026 – Innomotics, a globally leading supplier of electric motor and large drive systems, has won several major orders for electrified LNG projects in Europe, Canada, Middle East and Australia. The total volume for all orders is in the higher double-digit million EUR range.

Innomotics is driving the transformation of LNG production with its innovative eLNG solutions. By replacing conventional gas turbine-based liquefaction processes with electrified drive systems, LNG operators can significantly increase efficiency, reduce emissions, and lower operating costs.

As global demand for cleaner energy continues to grow, LNG remains a key component of the energy mix. However, traditional LNG production is energy-intensive and associated with high greenhouse gas emissions. eLNG addresses these challenges by using electricity – including renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower – to liquefy natural gas, enabling a more sustainable and efficient production process.

The electrification of LNG plants is a key step in reducing reliance on fossil fuels and achieving decarbonization targets. Electric drive systems from Innomotics offer system efficiencies of up to 95%, significantly exceeding the performance of conventional gas turbines. At the same time, operators benefit from reduced maintenance requirements, with systems capable of running up to five years without scheduled shutdowns, and increased plant availability of up to 99.9%.

By integrating high-voltage motors and variable speed drives across the entire LNG value chain – from compression and refrigeration to storage and gas treatment – Innomotics enables a fully electrified production process. When powered by renewable energy, eLNG solutions can eliminate direct CO₂ emissions and reduce annual emissions by up to 500,000 tons, supporting operators in meeting regulatory requirements and sustainability goals.

“Electrification is the foundation for a sustainable future of LNG production. With our eLNG solutions, we enable operators to significantly improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and enhance reliability across the entire process. This not only strengthens competitiveness but also accelerates the transition towards net-zero operations,” says Michael Reichle, CEO of Innomotics.

He adds, “Operators are under increasing pressure to balance sustainability with profitability. Our electric drive systems deliver a compelling business case by lowering lifecycle costs, minimizing downtime, and ensuring maximum operational performance in demanding LNG environments.”

Recently awarded eLNG Projects

Pioneering eLNG success for Hammerfest in Norway:

Hammerfest is home to the world’s first all-electric LNG plant, operational since 2007. Equipped with two 65 MW refrigeration compressor drives, the facility has achieved over 15 years of successful operation with minimal maintenance and an exceptional availability rate of 99.88%. This project set a new standard for reliability and efficiency in the LNG sector, proving the long-term value of electric drive systems in demanding environments

Innovative floating LNG project in Canada:

This project represents the world’s first floating all-electric LNG facility. With four complete drive train systems of 35 MW each powering the main refrigeration compressors, the plant is designed to export three million tons of eLNG per year. The project demonstrates the scalability and flexibility of Innomotics technology, delivering high performance and low emissions in a unique offshore setting

Setting the global benchmark for an LNG plant in Qatar:

This LNG plant features multiple 60 MW and 45 MW trains, each with three refrigeration compressors. As the world’s LNG market leader, Qatar relies on Innomotics systems to deliver maximum availability and operational excellence. This large-scale deployment showcases our ability to support complex, high-capacity facilities with proven reliability and efficiency.

Lowest emissions through renewables at an LNG project in Canada:

The LNG plant is powered by renewable hydropower and features 50 MW LCI eLNG trains. The facility is designed to produce 2.1 million tons of LNG per year with the lowest emissions in the global LNG export industry. This reference highlights the environmental benefits of integrating electric drive technology with renewable energy sources.

Driving sustainability with carbon capture at a CCUS LNG project in Australia:

This project utilizes multiple medium voltage motors and drive systems totalling 297 MW for LNG production, combined with a carbon capture project. This installation demonstrates the compatibility of Innomotics solutions with advanced sustainability initiatives, enabling operators to reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining process efficiency

Additional eLNG materials:
Whitepaper on eLNG
Expert Video concerning electrified LNG
Reference projects and success stories
3D visualization in our virtual world: Innomotics Electrosphere

For more information, visit https://www.innomotics.com/hub/en/applications/electrified-lng

Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/innomotics

Hashtag: #Innomotics

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

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

The government is taking 10 initiatives to protect vital undersea Internet and power cables.

Sabotage and accidental damage of cables in Europe and Asia have sparked efforts there to safeguard them better.

A newly released government report showed, compared to international best practice, New Zealand was “generally well set up”, but the growing international threats prompted Assistant Transport Minister James Meager to ask for 10 “no-cost, low-effort” options to counter the greatest vulnerabilities.

Eight were done or underway, but two depended on partners, the nine-page report said.

One of the 10 included the first exercise simulating a data cable break on 10 March.

Another was a biannual threat assessment, although in the report to Meager, most of the assessment was blanked out, apart from references to fishing, anchoring and earthquakes were the likeliest threats.

Officials presented the minister with the first threat assessment last October.

A third of the 10 initiatives was setting up a national surveillance warning capability, which was trailed successfully late last year. The MOT paper asked Meager if he wanted to launch a full system.

Last year, National Security and Intelligence Minister Christopher Luxon ordered a review of critical underwater infrastructure (CUI), saying, “A new threat has emerged“.

In 2024, officials had warned that submarine cables were “attractive espionage targets”.

The latest report to Meager sketched examples of compromised cables, including several in waters between Taiwan and China.

It said an exercise called ‘Iceland Unplugged’ last year simulated all four of the island’s telecom cables to Europe being severed and “is of such direct relevance that we judge that we do not need to model the impact on New Zealand currently”.

“Feedback from industry indicates that, if we lose one of the five current international cables, then we would not be noticeably impacted.

“This is because the cables are designed to have spare capacity and the companies work cooperatively, so that the disrupted cable’s traffic would be immediately rerouted.”

Iceland’s exercise showed, if more than one cable was lost, the main impact was overseas web pages would not load, causing loss of productivity.

For electricity, a long outage of the Cook Strait power cables – they provide up to 30 percent of the North Island’s power during peak demand – could “seriously impede” supply nationally and push up wholesale prices.

The “most effective hedge against disruption is having more CUI and having it more geographically dispersed”, said the latest report.

A new cable from the US to New Zealand would cost about $1 billion and the main thing companies wanted from the government was “an effective regime to protect these investments”.

Encouraging investment was “working well”, with work begun on one new international cable and planning advanced for one other.

One of the two initiatives not begun as of March 2026 was a ship-tracking system called AIS transmit – or Automatic Identification System – that would allow cable operators to detect vessels near cables.

Another initiative mentioned surveillance for “suspicious vessel behaviours”, but it was not clear if or how that was being done.

The country has cable protection zones and penalties aimed to discourage mariners from going in them, although not for all cables.

In the Pacific, under a marine maintenance agreement, a cable repair ship is either laying cable or on standby to respond to cable breaks from its home port in Fiji.

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– 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.

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

Auckland FC v Adelaide United

Semi-final first leg

Mt Smart Stadium, 6pm Saturday 9 May

Live updates on RNZ.co.nz

Defender Francis de Vries was one of the first names on the Auckland FC team sheet for nearly two seasons until an injury on international duty in March interrupted his A-League season.

But after five weeks sidelined with a calf strain, the All Whites defender is closing in on a return just as Auckland’s finals campaign reaches its defining stage.

The timing of his calf injury could not have been worse.

With the All Whites set to play at a Football World Cup for the first time in 16 years in June, and Auckland trying to progress to the A-League Grand Final for the first time, both of de Vries’ football worlds were quickly moving towards a peak while he was sidelined.

It was not the first time that de Vries had been injured at an inopportune time. Twice as a professional de Vries had knee injuries that ended playing contracts in the United States and Sweden.

The 31-year-old had already extended his Auckland contract until 2029 months before he was hobbled playing for New Zealand against Finland.

However, the calf concern ruled de Vries out of the last four games of the A-League regular season and the must-win elimination final.

“It was the first time I’ve ever done a muscle in my life; I did the ACL and meniscus before but they are joint injuries, so it’s all a bit new to me and I’ve been learning the process of that as we’ve been going along,” de Vries said.

Physically he has been working on loading so his calf was strong enough for a return to the field but his mental strength was what has got him through this period.

“That’s what you get from going through adversity a lot earlier in your career that you know how to handle these situations, and you keep perspective better.

“How you approach it mentally is probably more important than what you do physically when you’re injured because it’s very easy to get out of your routine or get out of your confidence or your regular thought patterns and that can affect the actions you take.

“So it’s been really helpful all the things I’ve learnt throughout my career over these last six weeks because it’s not been easy to sit out so I’m happy I’ve had that experience before to fall back on.”

Aside from Auckland’s finals campaign, de Vries said the World Cup was also a motivator to “do the little things properly”.

Coach Steve Corica offered a glimmer of hope on Saturday night that de Vries would still have some part to play this season after Auckland defeated Melbourne City in a penalty shootout in the elimination final.

Corica said the player who had brought up a milestone 50 consecutive games in the A-League before getting injured would be “possibly back next week, or the week after, and that would be great for the depth in the squad to have him back and the quality he shows” as Auckland entered the two-legged semi-finals against Adelaide United.

On Thursday Corica went as far as to say de Vries would be in the squad at the weekend.

But that afternoon de Vries was more coy about what that meant in terms of minutes.

“If the team needs me then I will be there,” de Vries said.

“It’s obviously [Corica’s] decision who plays and who plays how long but if there is a chance the team needs me to be involved then I should be available.”

Auckland’s last game against Adelaide, a 1-all away draw on 3 April, was the first time de Vries was unavailable for selection.

Without de Vries Auckland closed out the regular season with three draws and a loss.

The left back was at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday to watch his team-mates keep the season alive – and give him another chance to feature in finals football.

“It was pretty nerve-racking, the last bit the extra time and the penalties. I was definitely on the edge of my seat and it was great that we won in that way and it’s always exciting to get through the first round and everyone’s pretty pumped up about it, including me.”

Being a spectator for five weeks “has not been the best feeling” but de Vries was “looking forward to what is possible over the next three weeks”.

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

HUALIEN, TAIWAN – Media OutReach Newswire – 6 May 2026 – The “Pacific Ocean International Festival of Rock Balancing and Arts” officially kicked off May 1st at the Qixingtan Scenic Area in Hualien. The event brings together renowned artists from Sweden, Spain, Iraq, Japan, and Turkey, collaborating with local Taiwanese creators. Through traditional rock balancing and interdisciplinary artistic concepts, the festival fosters a cross-cultural dialogue along the Pacific coastline, showcasing vibrant creative energy.

Centered on public participation, the festival features a diverse range of activities, including international art exhibitions, professional rock balancing competitions, family-friendly experiences, local markets, and hands-on workshops. Visitors are invited to engage directly with nature and create their own rock artworks. A photography contest encourages participants to capture the diverse beauty of rock stacks under varying light conditions and perspectives, while a short video competition invites creative visual storytelling.

During the preparation phase, the organizers established a strategic partnership with Scotland’s European Land Art Festival and received its official endorsement. This collaboration aims to develop Hualien into a key Asian hub for international competitions, strengthening connections with Europe and the United States.

The opening ceremony featured a unique musical performance inspired by rocks, presented by Professor Lin Tze-ying and students from Taipei National University of the Arts, alongside local Hualien students. Their performance blended the region’s distinctive natural soundscape with its rich cultural heritage.

Running through June 30, the festival transforms Qixingtan Scenic Area into a two-month outdoor art venue, inviting both domestic and international visitors to experience the enchanting intersection of art and nature between the mountains and the sea.

Hashtag: #Hualien

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

Explainer – New Zealand has signed a deal with Singapore that will ensure exports of essential supplies like food and fuel keep flowing, even during a crisis.

A bit like the one we’re facing now.

While it was inked this week, negotiations concluded last year, and Singapore has kept the fuel coming since the outbreak of the war on Iran.

Neither Christopher Luxon nor his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong would have known just how handy that deal was going to become back in October.

It’s a pretty simple equation, crisis or no crisis: New Zealand needs fuel, Singapore supplies fuel. Singapore needs food, New Zealand supplies food.

With no refinery in New Zealand since the closure of Marsden Point, we’ve had to rely on importing refined fuel from elsewhere. Singapore has supplied around a third of that.

The background

New Zealand and Singapore have a longstanding trade relationship.

In the year to June 2025, two-way trade was worth $11.07 billion.

The two countries signed a free trade agreement (the New Zealand-Singapore Closer Economic Partnership, or CEP) all the way back in 2000.

In April 2020, they committed to a declaration on trade in essential goods, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

That declaration ensured neither New Zealand nor Singapore would impose export restrictions like tariffs on 120 essential goods like various foods, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment.

While the declaration was non-binding, in 2022 former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and former Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong established a supply chain working group to build on those commitments and spirit of cooperation.

In October 2024, Cabinet agreed to launch negotiations, and a year later the Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies (AOTES) was agreed to.

Were we at risk of fuel being cut off?

Singapore has made it clear it was hardly going to turn the tap off anyway, given the relationship and how much it runs counter to our general trade philosophies.

New Zealand farmers are pretty reliant on diesel, in order to produce the food that is then exported to Singapore.

So there was never much of a motivation for Singapore or New Zealand to all of a sudden become more protectionist.

But now it’s in writing, with legal obligations, and sitting within the CEP.

“Unlike the declaration, the AOTES is a binding, treaty level agreement and is not responding to an immediate supply shock but helping both of our countries prepare for future crises,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials wrote in a national interest analysis.

Countries can use a critical shortages exception under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), but this new deal is “novel,” officials said, because it prevents that from happening.

Not that New Zealand has ever used that exception. To the best of their knowledge, officials couldn’t find an example.

So, even if Singapore experiences a supply shock, it still can’t apply that shortages exception, which gives New Zealand more certainty.

But what if the worst happens?

If we’re talking about the absolute worst of the worst of situations, like a nuclear apocalypse which wipes out all of our crops, or the island where Singapore’s refineries are based all of a sudden sinks into the sea, then yes, sure, Singapore and New Zealand could technically circumvent the agreement.

The countries can still use other provisions or exceptions in the GATT or their World Trade Organisation agreements, so they can still impose export controls for “reasons such as national security threats, the protection of human, plant and animal health, public morals, or the regulation of classification, grading or marketing of commodities in international trade.”

That’s where a rapid review clause comes in, meaning both parties can call an emergency meeting to discuss adding or removing goods to or from the list.

Singapore and New Zealand have also promised to share information with each other in the event of a significant or imminent supply chain disruption, such as the predicted impact on their economy or national security, or how long it may last.

There is a provision within Singapore and New Zealand’s CEP which allows Singapore to adopt “any measure” to address critical shortages of essential imports.

So, if there’s a supply chain crisis, Singapore could use the provision within the CEP to prove an exemption from the AOTES.

But, officials said, the threshold was high, as the “relevant goods need to be listed as essential in Singapore’s domestic law, the critical shortages need to give rise to major difficulties for Singapore, and the measure should not be used to arbitrarily discriminate against New Zealand or to impose a disguised restriction on trade.”

So why is fuel still so expensive?

While the deal reduces New Zealand’s risk of fuel shortages, it doesn’t reduce our exposure to prices.

The AOTES ensures both countries continue to “expedite and facilitate” the flow of supplies, and prevents them from imposing export restrictions.

It does not “cut across” the role of the private sector in the production or management of supply chains, and there’s no regulation within the agreement for the private sector.

It also doesn’t mean New Zealand or Singapore have to commit to procurement, or guarantee the supply of goods.

New Zealand importers still have to pay the market rate for the fuel, and that inevitably gets passed on to consumers.

Singapore’s refineries have had to adapt to process sweeter crude than they’re used to, and sourcing it from elsewhere has also brought in extra costs.

The fuel companies can source it. They can refine it. They can transport it. But it’s still going to cost us, especially if that supply gets more constrained.

That’s why, even though the fuel is still coming into New Zealand, we’re still seeing those prices at the pump.

Both Wong and Luxon have been bleak in their assessments of the fuel crisis, with neither thinking it’s going to end any time soon.

What else is in there?

Food and fuel are the headline items, mainly because they’re the most pressing things the respective countries would need in a crisis.

The lists can be changed, but only if both parties agree to the edits.

New Zealand’s list includes petroleum and oils (other than crude, which we wouldn’t need anyway without a refinery), hydrocarbons, medications, vaccines, polymers, medical equipment, and building materials like steel and glass insulation.

Officials on the New Zealand side said the list was chosen to reflect what New Zealand already imported from Singapore, as well as “whether New Zealand could or could not stand-up production of the specific good in the times of crisis, how substitutable the good is, and whether we can easily source the good from elsewhere.”

Singapore’s list is almost entirely food: meats, vegetables, legumes, fruits, dairy, grains.

Coal is also on Singapore’s list, as are photographic cameras, for some reason.

Is it really a world first?

The “first of its kind” definition is technically true.

Australia concluded negotiations on a similar economic resilience deal with Singapore last month, committing to keep supplying Singapore with liquefied natural gas while Singapore promised to keep supplying Australia with refined fuel.

But even though New Zealand’s deal has only just been signed now, it has been locked in for longer.

Luxon has used that to rebuff criticisms that he should have got on a plane to Singapore sooner. The deal was agreed to in October, Singapore promised to abide by it in-principle once the war started, there was no rush.

“We didn’t need to, because the Australians didn’t have what we have. They probably still haven’t got what we have. We put this in place in October, Prime Minister Wong and I are good friends, and we agreed that we would work to this and formally sign it on this visit. So it’s served us incredibly well. We haven’t needed to go sooner as a result of this,” he told RNZ ahead of the trip.

Can we expect others to join in?

Luxon is pointing to the deal as an example of smaller countries innovating and modernising trade architecture, rather than responding to the United States’ tariffs with a tit-for-tat protectionism.

Both he and Wong have expressed openness to other countries wanting to join in.

Singapore and New Zealand’s deal had an advantage because they came from a running start, and had identified the products each other wanted, but both prime ministers have said others can sign up, as long as they can meet the same standards, guarantees, and commitments.

In July, New Zealand will chair a meeting with 15 other like-minded economies such as Malaysia, Switzerland, Norway, and the United Arab Emirates, and Luxon has said it’s possible some of those countries may want to give it a go.

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

Police and experts say it is not just excessive speed contributing to a recent uptick in fatal road crashes, but motorists’ poor attitudes to driving and lack of training.

In the 10 days from 20 April, 18 people were killed in 14 separate crashes, with preliminary findings showing 16 of the 18 deaths occurred on open roads with 100km/h speed limits and no traffic safety barriers.

The annual road toll is already trending higher this year than for 2025, despite fuel costing considerably more.

Police director of road policing Inspector Peter McKennie told Nine to Noon on Monday it was impractical and prohibitively expensive to put safety barriers on every high-speed road in the country, so drivers needed to pay more attention to their own actions and surroundings.

“We need people to focus on their driving 100 percent of the time, and 100 percent focus. And if they’re distracted by anything, be it because they’re feeling tired or got some impairment or they’re distracted by their phone, then their focus isn’t going to be there.

“And when you consider something can happen without warning in front of you, need to be able to drive in a manner and with a focus that enables you to respond safely to that. And there’s a growing body of international evidence indicating that the hands-free technology, including that built into your car, is just as distracting as actually holding onto your mobile phone and talking on it.”

While speed was not a factor in every accident, speed often determines the outcomes – as the police used to say in their marketing, ‘the faster you go, the bigger the mess’.

“There’s some challenges in terms of speed limits,” McKennie said.

“I mean, we’ve had the speed limits we’ve had in New Zealand for many, many decades now, and people have become accustomed to them. And it’s challenging to change and really it needs a mandate to change. And the public to date have largely said they want to keep travelling at the speeds they are.

“But when you compare us to the likes of Norway, which has some of the safest roads in the world, you can’t put a speed limit in place higher than 80kmh/h unless barriers are in place. But again, it’s a big challenge to actually change to that sort of model.”

He noted it was not up to police to set speed limits. The coalition this term has reversed some speed reductions out in place by previous governments.

“Probably what I’d do is just encourage people to just have a think about it, perhaps see what’s happening overseas, see what the differences are, because certainly New Zealand police is delivering world-leading levels of road safety enforcement for the things that matter, the things that impact on people getting killed on the roads. And it is literally world-leading, comparable to that in Norway,” McKennie said.

“But… what are the different factors in place in New Zealand? And part of it is our environment. You know, it’s the windy, torturous roads and that sort of thing. They’re unforgiving”

When safety features backfire

Bruce Wilson, who worked for 16 years as a police officer, specialising in road policing and investigated over 1000 crashes, now runs Forensic Crash Consultancy, which provides independent expert advice on the causes of road crashes.

He said drivers were too reliant on cars’ safety features and undertrained on what to do in dangerous situations.

“New Zealand drivers have an overconfidence [which] leads to a lot of drivers – especially overconfidence in their vehicle being flash and having all the systems on board, but also just overconfidence in our ability. We’re simply not taught how to drive anything apart from putting it in ‘D for dummy’ and driving from A to B. We’re not taught how to react in a situation.”

He said many modern vehicles had safety features – such as anti-lock brakes – which required a completely different response from the driver to work, than what many would have learned when they were younger.

“I’m 50 years of age. When I was taught to drive vehicles didn’t have anti-lock brakes and stability control, a lot of those other safety systems. And we had this message pushed to us that we’ve got to buy the safest car and have the safest system on board. But we’re becoming too reliant on that. And that’s what’s been seen both in New Zealand and overseas. We simply don’t understand how our modern car can actually protect us…

“In my generation, if our car was starting to spin or rotate, we were taught to steer into the skid to try and control it. In a vehicle with stability control, that is the worst thing you want to do because the car can obtain grip and give you more steering ability. So you will actually steer off into the hazard instead of modern driver training…

“Or anti-lock brakes. A lot of people panic. How many people have actually driven their car and had their anti-lock brakes go off? Because in the majority of vehicles, your brake pedal falls to the floor. People panic. They take the foot off the brake and now suddenly the car’s not braking instead of keeping that foot flat to the floor so the car can do its job to try and keep you safe.”

He said a lot of New Zealand’s roads were not suitable for high speed limits.

“But instead of just focusing on setting the speed limit, what we need to be doing is empowering our drivers to understand what a safe speed is to travel at.

“The speed limit is a limit, it’s not a target, and that’s unfortunately how we treat it in New Zealand. But if we’re driving along the road, we need to give them the skills and the knowledge to know that at this time, ‘I need to have a little bit of a buffer. I need to be traveling a little bit slower. Just because I can do the corner at 80km/h doesn’t mean I need to do the corner at 80km/h.’

“So applying speed limits with a blanket approach, I don’t think is the correct way to do it. We need to actually look at the facts and evidence, and that’s where we come back to that good-quality crash investigation. So the facts can be used to make better, more solid decisions instead of just blanket application of speed limit reductions. “

‘Angry and responsive’

Wilson said the high number of crashes when it might be expected fewer drivers were on the road could be down to stress, noting a similar trend during Covid.

“I find New Zealand drivers to be rather angry and responsive… I spent three weeks driving around the US where they have their own concerns and issues with their crash rate, but [are] a lot more polite…

“So yeah, that anger behind the wheel, it’s again that just focus or that fixation on getting somewhere in the shortest period of time instead of actually looking at the journey and getting there in your little stages and steps, focusing too much on, ‘I need to get here because I’ve got to get back to work,’ or, ‘I’ve got to get to work,’ and all those sorts of other factors that are coming into it. And it does lead into it, you know, we need to drive relaxed. We need to drive focused.”

“Yeah, it’s not necessarily just anger,” McKennie added. “It’s what else is on your mind… You just need to focus on the road, focus on driving safely. Don’t let other things distract you. If you feel your mind wandering, stop and have a break.”

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Wellington: The bottle bill proposal announced today by NZ First is strongly supported by New Zealanders and backed by extensive international evidence showing Container Return Schemes deliver major gains in recycling and litter reduction.

“The evidence is clear: container return schemes work and New Zealanders want one,” said Robert Kelman, Director Reloop Pacific. “This is a practical, well-tested policy that delivers real environmental and community benefits and we hope all New Zealand political parties back the legislation.”

Recent nationwide polling shows more than three-quarters of New Zealanders support a Container Return Scheme, with support cutting across all political parties, age groups and regions. Public backing is also strong worldwide. Surveys across more than a dozen countries show around 80% support for Container Return Schemes, with support often even higher where schemes are already operating. Support tends to grow once a scheme is up and running.

Countries with well-designed schemes routinely achieve return rates above 90%, including Germany (98%), Finland (99%) and Norway (92%). In Lithuania, return rates increased from 34% to around 90% within two years of their scheme’s introduction. International experience shows container return schemes are one of the most effective recycling policies available.

New Zealand already has a co-designed, locally tailored draft scheme that has undergone extensive analysis and consultation. With more than 2.5 billion drink containers sold each year and many still ending up in landfill or litter, a Container Return Scheme represents a proven, popular solution to boost recycling and cut litter.

“New Zealand has the public support, the international proof points and a ready-made scheme design. What we need now is for Parliament to get on with it,” said Kelman.

Independent situation analysis and international evidence
https://www.reloopplatform.org/resources/policy-development-for-a-container-return-scheme-in-new-zealand-situation-analysis

MIL OSI

Spider-Noir

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The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi has today launched our Roving Health and Safety Representatives policy at the Workers’ Memorial Day commemoration in Wellington, with further events held across the motu in Manawatū, Christchurch, and Otago.

Workers’ Memorial Day is an international day of remembrance for working people killed and injured because of their work. In Aotearoa New Zealand, 18 workers are killed every week as a consequence of work, and every 15 minutes a worker suffers an injury that requires more than a week off work.

The CTU’s new policy proposes amending the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 to create a new statutory category of union-based roving health and safety representative — trained, union-nominated officials who would operate across multiple worksites within a defined sector or region to support workers to engage on health and safety.

The model is designed to reach workers who currently fall through the gaps in the system: those in small businesses, insecure employment, seasonal or migrant work, and low-unionised sectors, where the workers most exposed to harm have the least access to representation.

“Every week a New Zealand worker is killed at work and 17 more die from work-related illness. Every one of these deaths is preventable,” says NZCTU President Sandra Grey.

“The workers most at risk are often the ones with the least voice. Roving reps would change that — they’d bring independent, trained union support into the workplaces that need it most, and build the kind of worker engagement that evidence shows saves lives.”

Grey says the model is already proven internationally. Sweden and Norway have operated legislated union-based roving representative schemes for decades, and a 2002 UK pilot found more than 75% of employers involved changed their approach to health and safety as a result.

“We don’t need to invent this from scratch. New Zealand has already seen what it can do through the Toroawhi forestry pilot, which engaged over 500 workers and built real trust on the ground. What we need now is to legislate it, fund it properly, and deploy it into our highest-harm sectors,” says Grey.

The CTU is calling on the Government to amend the Health and Safety at Work Act to establish the roving rep category, and to set up a co-funded government–union programme modelled on the Swedish system.

MIL OSI

New Zealand is bottom of the world when it comes to how much we’re saving.

Or is it?

A graphic has been circulating online from Visual Capitalist, based on OECD data collected in recent years, showing how countries compare for their net household savings rate.

Sweden tops the table, with a savings rate of 16 percent.

Hungary is next at 14.3 percent and Czechia third with 13.7 percent.

New Zealand is at the bottom, with a rate of -1.3 percent. South Africa is second worse at -1 percent and Latvia is third with a rate of zero.

Australia is middle of the table, at about 6 percent.

But Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold said it was potentially not an accurate comparison.

New Zealand’s data was taken from 2023, the worst for saving levels in recent years.

He said it was just as the interest rate tightening cycle was really starting to hit and households were potentially drawing money out of savings to help.

Westpac data showed the savings rate had improved markedly from that low.

But Gareth Kiernan, chief forecaster at Infometrics, said it was acknowledged that New Zealand had a low savings rate by international standards.

“There has been a long-term historical issue with us that our savings has been poor.

“In fact, a lot of time through the 90s and 2000s in particularly, it was in negative territory which means we were spending more than we were earning.

“It’s improved a bit since given the establishment of KiwiSaver, so there is more financial savings going on.”

He said New Zealanders tended to do a lot of “saving” in the property market on the expectation that house pries would go up.

“That’s not captured by the numbers here. If you’re getting wealthier through that asset appreciate in value, that’s been all well and good at times over the last three decades given what house prices have done.

“But if they’re not going to appreciate going forward and you always need someone else to sell them to, that’s not a great position to be in.”

He said house prices relative to incomes were still pretty high and affordability was poor. “It’s not a particularly sustainable position. You’re still left from New Zealand’s point of view in being in a structurally not a great position.”

He said policy settings such as those around superannuaation would help to drive savings in some countries.

“In other cases there might be a bias from households to save via financial assets, shares and other investments, not via housing.”

Lifting the KiwiSaver contribution rates over time would help. “If that did change and if people’s attitudes around property, whether it [is] because of where the price is because of the experience of prices dropping 15 percent, if it’s not a sure way to accumulate wealth, you might see gradual improvement over time but it’s very much a medium-term thing.”

He said New Zealanders also had an expectation that the government would look after them in retirement to a degree. “Although there’s more warnings coming about how unsustainable that position is. But if the government is doing the saving for you, why you would bother? That’s over-simplifying it but it does have an impact on people’s behaviour.”

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The Football Ferns are up two spots to number 33 in the latest women’s world football rankings.

Last week the Ferns qualified for the 2027 FIFA World Cup by winning the Oceania series.

Papua New Guinea, who were the beaten finalists, are the next best ranked team in Oceania at number 57.

The biggest climber in the rankings, which haven’t been updated since December, was American Samoa who are up 17 places to 120.

There is no change at the top of the rankings with Spain number one from the USA and England, who move up one from fourth replacing Germany.

The rest of the top ten is Japan, Brazil, France, Sweden, Canada and the Netherlands.

A team have bowed out of the standings, with the British Virgin Islands no longer featuring.

The Concacaf minnows relinquish their place after having gone four years without a fixture, bringing the pool down to 197 teams.

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21 April 2026 – Amnesty International calls on states to stop predatory, anti-rights order from taking hold in pivotal moment for humanity

Predatory attacks on multilateralism, international law and civil society marked 2025
The alternative on offer is a racist, patriarchal, unequal and anti-rights world order
Protesters, activists and global bodies are working to resist, disrupt and transform

The world is on the brink of a perilous new era, driven by powerful states’, corporations’ and anti-rights movements’ assaults on multilateralism, international law and human rights, Amnesty International warned today upon launching its annual report, The State of the World’s Human Rights. States, international bodies and civil society must reject the politics of appeasement and collectively resist these attacks to prevent this new order from taking hold, the organization said in its assessment of the human rights situation in 144 countries.

“We are confronting the most challenging moment of our age. Humanity is under attack from transnational anti-rights movements and predatory governments determined to assert their dominance through unlawful wars and brazen economic blackmail,” said Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard.

“For years, Amnesty International has denounced the gradual disintegration of human rights in every part of the world, warning of the consequences of flagrant rule-breaking by governments and corporate actors. We’ve also demonstrated time and again how double standards and selective compliance with international law have weakened the multilateral system and accountability.

“What marks this moment as fundamentally different is that we’re no longer documenting erosion around the system’s edges. This is a direct assault on the foundations of human rights and the international rules-based order by the most powerful actors for the purpose of control, impunity and profit.

“The spiralling conflict in the Middle East is a product of this descent into lawlessness. Following the initial unlawful US-Israeli attacks in violation of the UN Charter, which triggered Iran’s indiscriminate retaliation, the conflict has quickly morphed into an open warfare against civilians and civilian infrastructure, exacerbating the already catastrophic suffering of people across the region. It is now engulfing countries around the world, impacting populations everywhere, and threatening the livelihood of millions. This is what happens when the norms, institutions and legal framework painstakingly built to safeguard humanity are hollowed out for the purpose of domination.”

“Amnesty’s 2025 annual report moves beyond warning of imminent breakdown to documenting a collapse now underway, and exposing its devastating consequences for human rights, global stability and the lives of millions in 2026 and beyond. It calls on states around the world to urgently reject the politics of appeasement embraced in 2025, overcome fear, and resist in words and actions the construction of a predatory world order.”

Predatory attacks are accelerating the destruction of international law

The State of the World’s Human Rights, and Amnesty International’s documentation so far this year, detail pervasive crimes under international law and mounting attacks on the international justice system, which are gravely harming the foundations that underpin human rights globally.

Israel has maintained its genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, despite the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, and its system of apartheid over Palestinians, while accelerating the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and taking steps toward annexation. Israeli authorities have increasingly allowed or encouraged settlers to attack and terrorize Palestinians with impunity, and prominent officials have praised and glorified violence against Palestinians, including arbitrary arrests and the torture of detainees.

The United States of America has committed over 150 extrajudicial executions by bombing boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific, and carried out an act of aggression against Venezuela in January 2026. Russia has intensified its aerial attacks on critical civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, while Myanmar’s military used motorized paragliders to drop explosive munitions on villages last year, killing dozens of civilians, including children.

The United Arab Emirates has fuelled the conflict in Sudan by providing advanced Chinese weaponry to the Rapid Support Forces, who seized control of El Fasher last October after an 18-month siege of the city and committed mass civilian killings and sexual violence. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the M23 armed group, with the active support of Rwanda, captured the cities of Goma and Bukavu and unlawfully killed civilians and tortured detainees.

In early 2026, the USA and Israel’s unlawful use of force against Iran, in violation of the UN Charter, has triggered retaliatory Iranian strikes on Israel and Gulf Cooperation Council countries, while Israel has escalated its attacks on Lebanon. From the killing of over 100 children in an unlawful US strike on a school in Iran, to the devastating attacks by all parties on energy infrastructure, the conflict has endangered the lives and health of millions of civilians and threatens to inflict vast, predictable and long-term civilian and environmental harm, impacting access to energy, healthcare, food and water across an already turbulent region and beyond.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban escalated its predatory policies against the female population, with further bans prohibiting them from education, work and freedom of movement, while in Iran, the authorities massacred protesters in January 2026, in what was likely the most lethal such repression for decades.

The USA, Israel and Russia further undermined international accountability mechanisms, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) in particular, last year. The Trump administration enacted sanctions against ICC staff, collaborators and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, while Russian courts issued arrest warrants against ICC officials. Several other states withdrew or announced their intention to withdraw from the Rome Statute and treaties banning cluster munitions and anti-personnel mines.

The vast majority of states have been unwilling or unable to consistently denounce predatory acts by the USA, Russia, Israel or China, or to chisel out diplomatic solutions. The European Union and most European states appeased US assaults on international law and multilateral mechanisms. They have failed to take meaningful action to stop Israel’s genocide or end the irresponsible arms and technology transfers fuelling crimes under international law around the world. They have also been unwilling to enact blocking statutes to protect the targets of US sanctions, including on ICC judges and prosecutors. Italy and Hungary declined to arrest individuals subject to ICC warrants in their territory, while France, Germany and Poland implied they would do the same.

“World leaders have been far too submissive in the face of attacks on international law and the multilateral system. Their silence and inaction are inexcusable. It is morally bankrupt and will bring nothing but retreat, defeat and the erasure of decades of hard-fought human rights gains. To appease aggressors is to pour fuel on a fire that will burn us all and scorch the future for generations to come,” said Agnès Callamard.

“Some may be tempted to dismiss the system built over the last 80 years as nothing but an illusion. This is to ignore the hard-fought achievements towards the recognition of universal rights, the adoption of multiple international conventions and national laws protecting against racial discrimination and violence against women, enshrining the rights of workers and trade unions, and recognizing the rights of Indigenous Peoples. It is to forget the poverty addressed, the reproductive rights strengthened and the justice delivered when states chose to uphold the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  

“The political and economic predators, and their enablers, are declaring the multilateral system dead not because it’s inefficient but because it’s not serving their hegemony and control. The response is not to proclaim it an illusion or beyond repair, but to confront its failures, end its selective application and keep transforming it so that it’s fully capable of defending all people with equal resolve.”

Ramped-up assaults on civil society spread around the world

The proliferation of attacks on civil society and social movements deepened in 2025, with sustained efforts to silence and disempower human rights defenders, organizations and dissenters spreading to almost every part of the world.

Authorities in Nepal and Tanzania were particularly brazen in their unlawful use of lethal force to repress protests expressing political and socio-economic grievances. The governments of Afghanistan, China, Egypt, India, Kenya, the USA and Venezuela, among others, also violently repressed protests, criminalized dissent through counterterrorism and security laws, or used abusive policing tactics, enforced disappearances or extrajudicial executions.

In the United Kingdom, authorities proscribed Palestine Action, a direct-action protest network primarily targeting Israeli arms manufacturers and their subsidiaries, under overly broad counterterrorism laws and arrested more than 2,700 people for peacefully opposing the ban. The UK High Court ruled this unlawful in February 2026. The government is appealing the decision.

Turkish authorities detained hundreds of peacefully protesters after the arrest of Istanbul mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is among over 400 people facing politically motivated prosecution under alleged corruption charges.

US authorities launched an unlawful clampdown on migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, committing unnecessary and excessive use of force, racial profiling, arbitrary detention, and practices that amounted to torture and enforced disappearance. In Latin America, states such as Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela adopted or reformed legal frameworks that impose disproportionate controls on civil society organizations directly impacting their ability to operate, access resources, support communities and defend human rights.

Many governments, facilitated by corporate actors, used spyware and digital censorship to restrict freedom of expression and the right to information. US authorities used AI-powered surveillance tools to target foreign students expressing solidarity with Palestinians with arrest and deportation. Serbia’s government used spyware and digital forensics tools against student protesters, civil society and journalists. Kenyan authorities systematically deployed technology-facilitated repression tactics, including online intimidation, threats, incitement to hatred and unlawful surveillance, to suppress youth-led protests.

The USA, Canada, France, Germany and the UK, among others, announced or enacted sweeping cuts to international aid budgets, despite knowing they would likely result in millions of avoidable deaths, and in several cases while committing to massive parallel hikes in military expenditure. This has had a catastrophic impact on NGOs’ efforts to advance press freedom, climate resilience, and gender justice, to protect refugees, migrants and asylum seekers, and to provide healthcare and sexual and reproductive rights.

Many states continued to resist reining in the aggressive tax avoidance and evasion by billionaires and corporate giants while weakening further restraints on corporate power. In the USA, strategic lawsuits against public participation had a chilling effect on civil society, with one such lawsuit resulting in a court ordering Greenpeace to pay a fossil fuel company $345 million (reduced from an initial $660 million).

In a context dominated by the US president describing climate change as a “scam”, governments did nowhere near enough to address climate displacement, equitably transition away from fossil fuels, or adequately ramp up finance for climate action – even as the UN Environment Programme warned that the world is on track to reach 3°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100.

“What alternative do the bullies and predators offer to the imperfect global experiment they’re so intent on destroying? The world order they propose is one that mocks and discards racial, gender and climate justice, treats civil society as an enemy, and rejects international solidarity. It is built on silencing dissent, weaponizing the law and dehumanizing those deemed ‘others’. Their vision of the world is predicated not on respect for our common humanity, but on military force, trade domination and technological hegemony. It is, ultimately, a vision with no moral compass,” said Agnès Callamard.

Protesters, civil society and international bodies lead efforts to resist, disrupt and transform

Undeterred by adversity, millions around the world are resisting injustice and authoritarian practices.

Gen Z protests swept over a dozen countries in 2025, including Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Nepal and Peru, and around 300,000 people defied Hungary’s ban on Budapest Pride to defend LGBTI rights. Throughout early 2026, demonstrators from Los Angeles to Minneapolis have organized street by street and block by block against violent and highly militarized US immigration enforcement raids.

Mass demonstrations against Israel’s genocide spread around the world last year and humanitarians from over 40 countries launched flotillas to show solidarity with Palestinians. Global activism against the flow of arms to Israel expanded, with dockworkers in France, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Spain and Sweden seeking to disrupt arms shipment routes. Activism and legal pressure also led several states to restrict or ban arms exports to Israel.

While many governments appeased attacks on international justice, several states and bodies bucked this trend by demonstrating their commitment to multilateralism and rule of law. A growing number acknowledged that Israel was committing genocide and several states joined the Hague Group, a collective committed to holding Israel accountable for violations of international law, and contributed to South Africa’s case against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The Philippines handed former president Rodrigo Duterte over to the ICC to face charges of the crime against humanity of murder, and the court issued warrants against two Taliban leaders for gender-based persecution. The Council of Europe and Ukraine agreed to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, and a hybrid court in the Central African Republic convicted six former members of an armed group for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The UN Human Rights Council established an independent investigative mechanism for Afghanistan and a fact-finding mission and Commission of Inquiry on Eastern DRC, and expanded the mandate of its fact-finding mission on Iran. Significant progress was made toward a binding UN tax convention and a Crimes Against Humanity Convention, and the ICJ and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued landmark advisory opinions affirming state human rights obligations to respond to climate damage.

More states have started speaking out against authoritarian practices and attacks on the rules-based order in 2026, with the Spanish government notably taking principled stands, but such calls must be backed up with decisive and sustained action.

“From city streets to multilateral forums, 2025 brought powerful displays of resistance and solidarity from protesters, diplomats, political leaders and many others around the world. We must build on their example and courage and forge bold coalitions to reimagine, rebuild and re-centre the global order around human rights, the rule of law and universal values,” said Agnès Callamard.

“Let 2026 be the year we assert our agency and demonstrate that history is not merely something imposed upon us; it is ours to make. And for the sake of humanity, the time to make history is now.”

MIL OSI

Inland Revenue (IR) has sent its first batch of letters to people who would normally have their tax assessed automatically, and who Inland Revenue are aware have traded crypto assets.

The tax department said it had identified 355,000 crypto-asset users in New Zealand who had undertaken 57 million transactions worth a combined $36 billion.

Crypto-assets are treated as a form of property for tax purposes and what people make from selling, trading or exchanging crypto-assets is taxable. Any profit made is treated as income, added to other annual earnings, and taxed within a person’s regular income tax bracket.

Inland Revenue said if people were making money from crypto assets they should be thinking about their tax obligations on this income and the risks of not declaring all related taxable activities.

Access to increased data has allowed IR to identify people with significant crypto assets and New Zealand is now implementing the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), which took effect on April 1.

Through CARF and annual exchanges of information with other tax authorities, IR will also receive information on transactions and transfers of crypto-assets that take place overseas by New Zealand tax residents.

Inland Revenue will be matching the information to tax returns and following up on any discrepancies.

It said its letter was the opportunity for people who received income from disposing of crypto-assets to review their tax position and correct any errors by filing an Individual income tax return – IR3.

Deloitte partner Ian Fay said the department was clearly emphasising that people could not assume that their crypto activity was invisible.

“For a lot of people, if you’ve got investments in crypto, even if it’s a relatively modest amounts, if you’re starting to double your money or more in terms of taxable income, and you haven’t got other funds aside to pay that tax, it’s still going to be difficult if you’ve not understood the rules properly and not returned the right amount of income to discover you’ve got a tax bill, plus interest, penalties for not accounting for it properly at the time.

“And more so if you’ve got all of your spare money tied up in crypto, and the crypto market has gone down, it gets hard if you’ve made some income a year or so ago that you didn’t properly return to Inland Revenue, your remaining crypto has now gone down in value, you may not have enough left to sell to pay the tax bill that you’ve got from a couple of years ago.”

He said people would not need to have cashed up their investments to get a tax bill.

“Some crypto investments will generate income, which is taxable.

“But more commonly, as soon as you go from one crypto asset to another crypto asset, in a lot of cases, that act will be treated as a taxable disposal of the first asset. And you’re acquiring a second asset.

“For example, often Bitcoin is the gateway crypto asset into other crypto investments. So you might buy some Bitcoin. And then a little while later, you might sell or exchange that Bitcoin for another crypto investment.

“You still think your investment is within the sort of crypto ecosystem, but that act of exchanging the Bitcoin for something else is a taxable event. If your Bitcoin went up in value, then you pay tax on the gain.”

He said many people still did not understand the rules or had not worked out their liabilities correctly.

“People won’t necessarily have huge amounts invested. But you could still do a lot of transacting and create a lot of tax compliance if you weren’t keeping on top of it.”

University of Auckland senior finance lecturer Gertjan Verdickt said a Norwegian study showed 88 percent of crypto holders had not declared their holdings in their tax return.

“Strikingly, even among investors trading on regulated domestic exchanges that already share data with the tax authority, 80 percent still didn’t declare.

“But the bigger picture: most non-compliers owed fairly modest amounts individually – bounds of around US$200 to US$1,000 per person, so the story is more about breadth than big tax evasion, and Norway is a good proxy for NZ given both treat crypto as property and have similar adoption rates. Also, it suggests that going after this money from an IR perspective can be costly.”

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

Kiwi track cyclists have secured three medals, two of them gold, on the opening day of the UCI World Cup in Hong Kong.

Both the women’s and men’s team pursuit triumphed, while Tom Sexton grabbed silver in the omnium.

It was a slow start for the women’s pursuit team of Bryony Botha, Samantha Donnelly, Emily Shearman and Ally Wollaston, who only qualified third fastest behind Italy and China.

But after a rider change, which saw Prue Fowler come in for Donnelly, they beat the Chinese to qualify for the final, and then took out Great Britain to win gold.

“We went in with a clear goal. We wanted to focus on ourselves and produce a ride we could be proud of,” said Shearman.

“We weren’t stoked with the qualifying this morning and the final was building on from that performance. We are super-stoked to come away with a ride we are proud of. It was well-executed and that resulted in the win and a good time.”

The men’s team pursuit with Keegan Hornblow, Marshall Erwood, George Jackson and Daniel Morton were also on form.

They were fastest in qualifying, before beating Japan in the first round with Nic Kergozou coming into the line-up.

They faced Denmark in the final, and beat them by more than two seconds.

“We have five guys here who rode across all the rounds,” said Hornblow. “We qualified first which, to honest, was a little bit of a surprise. But to back that up ride-after-ride and come out on top was a great team result.”

The decision to spell Sexton from the pursuit squad to focus on individual events also paid off.

He finished second in the two-rider omnium final behind Italian Matteo Florin.

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Auckland golfer Ryan Fox has enjoyed a good day at the Heritage PGA tournament in South Carolina.

Fox is tied for fourth after the opening round, two shots behind the leader Ludvig Aberg of Sweden.

He fired a six under par 65 which included eight birdies and two bogeys.

It was a return to form for the 39-year-old, who last month spent time in hospital with kidney stones and last week missed the cut at the Masters.

“Today was a really nice change it felt like I had a lot of really good shots,” he said afterwards.

However Fox only hit half of the greens in regulation.

“It is one of those courses where you can hit it close to the hole and still miss the green. I did that a bunch today and holed a couple of putts from off the green and it was nice to see some birdies go in.”

The tournament was being played in South Carolina, just south of where he won the Myrtle Beach Classic in 2025.

Fox said he had fun, a contrast from the pressure of playing at Augusta National last week.

“It’s a nice change in general coming down here, last week was tough and stressful and you come down here and while the golf course may be tricky it’s just a fun week to be a part of.”

Aberg had a one shot lead over American Harris English and Norwegian Viktor Hovland, with another shot back to a group of six players which includes Fox.

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