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NRL: NZ Warriors sign Grant Anderson in Brisbane Broncos exchange for Mitch Barnett

Source: Radio New Zealand

Grant Anderson scores a try for Melbourne Storm against the Warriors. photosport

NZ Warriors have completed a rumoured player exchange with Brisbane Broncos, receiving outside back Grant Anderson on a three-year contract from next season.

The deal compensates the Auckland NRL club for releasing current co-captain Mitch Barnett, who will return across the Tasman for family reasons and link up with the Broncos in 2027.

Anderson was a player apparently targeted by the Warriors and will bolster a backline that will also lose veteran Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, but has already confirmed the addition of Melbourne Storm wing Will Warbrick.

“Grant is an accomplished outside back who has plenty to offer,” said Warriors coach Andrew Webster.

“He gives us depth among our outside backs and will certainly add to competition in the squad.

“We’ll also benefit from the professional attitude he’ll bring, after four seasons with the Storm and now being part of the Broncos this year.”

Anderson, 26, made his NRL debut with Melbourne in 2022, logging 50 games and scoring 23 tries, while helping them to the last two grand finals.

After the Storm’s loss to Brisbane in the 2025 championship game, he switched clubs and debuted for his new team in an 18-14 win over his old outfit in round three, before suffering a knee injury the following week.

He will likely be sidelined until June.

“We’re excited to have Grant on board from next year,” said Warriors recruitment, pathways and development general manager Andrew McFadden.

“He has come out of a great system at Melbourne and now the Broncos, and he’ll add real experience to our squad.”

Barnett returned from a season-ending knee injury for the Warriors’ round-three visit to Newcastle Knights, but broke his thumb against Wests Tigers the following week.

He has been named among the extended reserves for a possible return against Gold Coast Titans on Saturday.

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

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One dead after crash in Ruapehu District

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

One person is dead after crash between a truck and a car on State Highway 49 in the Ruapehu District.

Police said it happened on State Highway 49 in Tangiwai shortly before 6.45pm on Thursday and a person died at the scene.

The road is closed and police said drivers should avoid the area and expect delays.

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

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Fatal crash, SH49, Tangiwai

Source: New Zealand Police

One person has died following a serious crash in Tangiwai this evening.

Emergency services were called to a two vehicle crash on State Highway 49 at around 6.45pm.

Sadly, despite best efforts, one person died at the scene.

The road is closed while the Serious Crash Unit conducts a scene examination.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Greyhound trainers to be paid to look after dogs when ban comes into force

Source: Radio New Zealand

Greyhound racing will be banned on 31st July. 123RF

Former greyhound trainers and owners will be paid to look after the dogs until they’re re-homed, once a ban on commercial greyhound racing comes into force on 31st July.

A new government agency set up to wind down the industry and rehome the roughly 1700 dogs has met with trainers and owners across the country this week.

Greyhound Racing Transition Agency head Heather Simpson told Checkpoint those who wish to re-home their greyhound will be paid a daily rate to cover care costs until a new owner is found.

“We are talking to the trainers and owners about that at the meetings we’ve just been having. And yes, we have said that there will be a daily rate paid to cover the costs of looking after the dogs in the meantime.

“We are still in the process of determining what that final daily rate will be, and it may differ according to the circumstances. But yeah, the cost of looking after the dogs will be met by the transition agency.”

Simpson said the agency is still determining what the rate will be, but she estimates it will be “in the $20s or the $30s” a day .

“I can assure you that the figure that we come up with will be based on the actual costs which are incurred by those people looking after them,” Simpson said.

She also said that “legislation guarantees that euthanasia is not the solution to this problem.”

“We are charged with looking after the welfare of these dogs, and that’s the commitment we’re making,” Simpson added.

Simpson said the money for the transition is coming from TAB.

“It’s money that was previously essentially going into greyhound racing and it’s being used to fund the transition programme.”

The agency aims to re-home all greyhounds in two years, but Simpson said it wasn’t going to be a “speedy process”.

Greyhound Racing New Zealand has been running a re-homing programme for a number of years and Simpson said there are already agencies set up to help with the re-homing.

“At the moment we re-home about 600 to 700 greyhounds a year anyway. We just want to increase that so that the 1700 odd greyhounds that are left don’t wait too long for a good home.”

Simpson was confident welfare standards of the dogs will be met, and she said the agency will also help with retraining, redeployment, and support for industry workers in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development.

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

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ACT would ban voting rights for unelected appointees on local council committees if elected

Source: Radio New Zealand

David Seymour says the party first raised this issue in September last year. RNZ / Mark Papalii

The ACT Party would ban unelected appointees on local council committees from having voting rights within 100 days if elected, leader David Seymour says.

“If you’re voting on council decisions, you should be accountable to the people paying the bills. That means facing free and frequent elections,” he has told a town hall meeting in New Plymouth.

The party this week lodged a member’s bill under the name of MP Cameron Luxton, who had campaigned since 2025 on amending the law to ban unelected appointees on council committees from having voting rights.

With his amendment so far not prioritised by coalition partners National and New Zealand First, Seymour said if the member’s bill was not drawn, the party would make it an election commitment to pass it within 100 days.

“When we first raised this issue in September last year, the Local Government Minister told us he had other priorities. But ACT says democracy is fundamental and urgent,” Seymour said.

The issue has come to a head in the Far North, where ACT-aligned councillor Davina Smolders has been at odds with the mayor Moko Tepania over having iwi representatives on the council’s Te Kuaka Māori Strategic Relationships Committee.

The council voted on Wednesday morning to expand the committee to include two representatives of the Northland iwi chairs forum and eight hapū representatives, alongside six elected councillors including Smolders.

She spoke on Duncan Garner’s podcast last week, where the host said he believed the proposed committee makeup was undemocratic and illegal – though Tepania later confirmed it was within the law.

Tepania said the furore had taken him by surprise, given Māori liaison committees were nothing new.

He told LDR it was “a mechanism that allows us to meet our statutory obligations under the Local Government Act, which is to ensure that we include Māori participation in our decision-making”.

More than 100 people gathered outside the council chambers ahead of the vote, many carrying flags and home-made banners in a show of support for Tepania.

ACT had claimed in its Monday newsletter the council was “stacking its various committees with iwi representatives who can vote, diluting the power of those elected and creating a new political order”.

“ACT Local Councillor Davina Smolders is a New Zealand hero. She has stood alone asking hard questions of the Far North District Council, and so far got the Minister for Local Government to ‘engage’ with the Council (with a little help from ACT).”

Smoulders previously faced council code of conduct proceedings after she publicly congratulated Tepania, claiming he had been selected as the Labour Party’s candidate for Northland in the upcoming general election.

Tepania later confirmed he would be staying on as mayor, and would not be standing as an MP. He is expected not to seek re-election as mayor in 2028.

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

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Holi overstayers: Future visa applications from company to be scrutinised

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Immigration New Zealand says it will carefully assess any future visa applications linked to Delhi-based CD Foundation after 18 performers who arrived for a Holi celebration in Auckland in February overstayed their visas.

In early March, Immigration New Zealand told RNZ it was trying to contact cultural performers from India who remained in the country after their visas had expired.

More than two dozen people from India were part of a “cultural delegation” linked to CD Foundation and associated with a Holi celebration in South Auckland.

The organisation denied any involvement in immigration violations in March.

A letter obtained by RNZ in March showed the Consulate General of India in Auckland supported visa applications for the delegation.

Immigration New Zealand also confirmed to RNZ it had received a support letter from the Indian diplomatic mission in Auckland for 29 visa applicants.

Eighteen people from the group arrived in New Zealand. Of those, four had since left the country, while 14 remained, according to Immigration New Zealand.

“We continue to prioritise contacting individuals who are now in New  Zealand unlawfully, on a case‑by‑case basis, and we continue to assess any information we receive,” said Jock Gilray, acting deputy chief operation officer at Immigration New Zealand.

Asked by RNZ whether it planned to blacklist the CD Foundation, the agency said that while the group had support from the Indian Consul General, it was not a sponsor and had no formal role or responsibilities in visa applications.

Gilray said that CD Foundation was not an accredited employer, nor a festival and entertainment organiser.

“However, any future applications associated with CD Foundation will be assessed accordingly,” he said.

“For privacy reasons relating to the individuals involved, and to protect the integrity of our decision-making, compliance and investigation processes, we are not able to go into any further detail on this matter,” Gilray said.

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

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‘Really good at a bad ponytail’: Dads learning new hair skills

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dads in Hawke’s Bay will soon be able to tell their braids from a ponytail thanks to a new class helping fathers learn practical hair skills.

Eastern Institute of Technology hairdressing tutor and mum Courtney Cook told Checkpoint growing up her dad always did her hair, which she said was special for a number of reasons.

“One, he took the effort to learn and do something that meant a lot to me, but two, it was five or 10 minutes in a day where we could just sit and have that quality time and open that line of communication around how the day had gone or anything that may have been on my mind.”

Cook said she had been thinking about running the classes “for about 10 years”, and the first workshop was already booked out.

“I’ve been really, really happy with the response that we’ve been getting,” Cook said.

Cook said many of the participants were “very open” about their current capabilities, and were keen to learn skills.

But they were also keen to develop a stronger bond with their daughters.

“They also understand the quality time aspect and that relationship and that bond with them as well, which is cool to see.”

One dad told Cook he was “really good at a bad ponytail”, and said many of the participants were hoping to learn the basics of keeping hair off their daughter’s face.

Others have bigger ambitions.

“One was talking to me about getting to a point where his daughter can bring a picture and he’ll just be able to do it sort of thing, because he’ll have those foundation skills that we learn in the workshop to be able to go and take through to other styles, which will be cool.”

Cook said there was pressure on hair looking “perfect”, which meant many dads were intimidated to try even basic ponytails and plaits.

But she said the workshop wasn’t about the perfect hairdo.

“Daughters don’t remember the perfect braids. They remember the time that they’ve spent with their dad.”

Cook said the dads learn three styles in the workshops, as well as sectioning and the basics of hair care.

She is hoping to run the workshops once a month or every six weeks, and is also considering a class for mums.

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

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Papatoetoe local charged over offensive graffiti released on bail

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

A Papatoetoe man has been released on bail after appearing in court charged over anti-Indian graffiti sprayed outside an Auckland school.

The message, which incited violence against the Indian community, was first spotted on Saturday near Papatoetoe Central School and the man was arrested on Thursday morning.

Another piece of graffiti with the same message was found inside a public toilet in Royal Oak.

The 61-year-old man appeared in Manukau District Court facing two charges of intentionally damaging a footpath.

Each carries a maximum three month prison term or $2000 fine.

He has also been charged with being offensive in a public place, with a maximum $1000 fine.

Bail was not opposed, and the judge ordered several conditions and granted interim name suppression.

Counties Manukau West Area Commander Inspector Dave Christoffersen earlier said a local man was arrested on Thursday.

“Given the threatening nature of the graffiti, our team has been making enquiries throughout the week which has led to a quick arrest,” he said.

Inspector Christoffersen said police were aware the incident had caused concern for communities.

“I can reassure the community that we have assessed this particular event as an isolated incident and that there is no wider risk to the community.

“We have made this assessment with information obtained through the investigation and after interviewing the man who has been charged.”

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

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Nelson footbridge graffitied with hate speech targetting Jewish people

Source: Radio New Zealand

The graffiti appeared on a footbridge over the Maitai River, but was painted over an hour after the council was alerted to its presence. File picture. RNZ / Tracy Neal

Nelson City Council and the New Zealand Jewish Council have condemned anti-Semitic behaviour, after hate speech targeting Jewish people was graffitied on a footbridge over the Maitai River.

The council was alerted to the graffiti shortly before midday on Thursday, with contractors sent out within the hour and the graffiti painted over by 2pm.

Council’s executive directory of delivery Alec Louverdis said the behaviour was unacceptable and there was no place for anti-Semitic graffiti in Nelson.

The Jewish Council said the graffiti was deeply concerning.

President Juliet Moses said the threat was not abstract, but a direct call for violence, and anti-Semitic rhetoric and incidents had been rising both in New Zealand and internationally.

Recent data released by the council shows there were 143 anti-Semitic incidents here in 2025 which included assaults, threats, damage to Jewish sites, and harassment targeting individuals in their homes.

It comes in the same week that a man was arrested after graffiti inciting racial violence was found in Papatoetoe, Auckland.

A 61-year-old was charged with offensive behaviour and wilful damage, and was released on bail after appearing in Manukau District Court on Thursday.

A separate piece of graffiti carrying an identical message was found inside a public toilet in another Auckland suburb, Royal Oak, on Wednesday.

Moses said the council expressed solidarity with the Indian community and reiterated that hatred directed at any group was a threat to all.

“New Zealanders have a shared responsibility to reject hatred in all its forms,” Moses said. “We must be clear that there is no place in our society for messages that dehumanise or call for harm against any community.”

The New Zealand Jewish Council said it’s committed to supporting a society in which all people can live safely and freely express their identity, and calls on leaders and the public alike to speak out against all forms of hate.

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

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Fatal crash, SH14, Tangiteroria

Source: New Zealand Police

One person has died following a serious crash in Tangiteroria this afternoon.

Emergency services were called to a single vehicle crash on State Highway 14 at around 2.40pm.

Sadly, despite best efforts, one person died at the scene.

The Serious Crash Unit has conducted a scene examination.

The road was closed, however has since reopened.

Police continue to make enquiries into the circumstances of the crash.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre