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Football: ‘Healthy’ A-League club Auckland FC worried for opposition

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland FC coach Steve Corica. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

The off-field blows keep coming for the A-League this week, with the future of another club hanging in the balance, and concern about the overall health of the competition is ever present for a leading coach.

On Monday the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) – which runs the A-League – took over the management of the struggling Central Coast Mariners on an interim basis while the process to sell the club is completed.

The fate of the Mariners follows Western United’s absence from the A-League this season while the club sorted out financial issues and worked to get their A-League licence back for a potential return.

Auckland FC coach Steve Corica said in their second season the league leaders were in a “healthy place” on and off the field, but he was aware that was not the case across the competition.

Corica has been involved as a player and coach in the A-League since the start in 2005.

“Of course there is always concerns,” Corica said on Tuesday about the health of the competition.

“Western we’re still not sure what is going to happen, I know they paid their debt off, so whether they come back in next year we’d like to see that, but with Central Coast as well it’s not great.

“It’s for the A-League to sort out, obviously they need to find another owner for Central Coast to move the club forward.

“We want the A-League to continue doing well.”

Reports out of Australia suggested there was local and international interest – including from English Championship club Queens Park Rangers – in taking over the ownership of the club, which is based in Gosford.

The Mariners’ men’s and women’s teams have had some success in recent years and Corica noted how well a team was doing on the field did not always impact what was happening with the business side of the club.

“They’ve had a really good run of late, they won the treble one year, they won the Grand Final, the Premiership, the last couple of years probably haven’t been like that but you just want to see them doing well off the pitch as well.”

A statement from the APL on Monday said that at this mid-point in the men’s and women’s seasons it would “ensure the ongoing obligations of the [Mariners] are met and operations continue.”

Auckland play the Mariners at Mt Smart Stadium next week.

The off-field success of the A-League would also be important for New Zealand Football which stated last month an intention to play a part in getting more New Zealand A-League teams into the competition with the first to join as soon as 2030.

NZF wanted a total of three men’s and three women’s A-League teams based in New Zealand by 2035.

Auckland also hung their future expansion into the women’s A-League on how well the competition was doing financially, with a plan to join in 2027.

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

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Man bitten by police dog and arrested after allegedly shooting at police

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Police say it’s fortunate no was injured when a man shot at officers in Dargaville on Sunday evening.

Inspector Dean Robinson, acting Northland district commander, said police received a report of man with a firearm on Bassett Street just after 8pm.

Enquiries led police to a house on the same street where they located “a person of interest”.

Robinson said the man fired an air rifle towards the officers.

“Thankfully, no one was injured. A police dog was deployed and the alleged offender received a dog bite before being taken into custody.”

He was taken to hospital for treatment and discharged a short time later.

Robinson said a 48-year-old man appeared in Whangārei District Court on Monday charged with two counts of a dangerous act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and two charges of resisting police.

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

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Wellington’s commuter trains back after two week shutdown for major repairs

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington’s commuter trains are back after a two week closure for major track repairs.

Buses replaced trains for most of the capital’s services between Boxing Day and January 12.

During the closure, KiwiRail work included replacing the rails on Lower Hutt’s Ava Bridge and upgrading the Otaihanga level crossing in Kāpiti.

Earthworks were also started in Naenae and Trentham for the arrival of two new substations which were set to arrive later this year.

KiwiRail Wellington metro general manager, Andy Lyon said the renewals improved the long term resilience and reliability of the network.

“It’s a big part of getting the Wellington Metro ready for increasing services and the new trains destined for Wairarapa and Manawatū from 2029.”

Metlink acknowledged issues commuters faced with buses that replaced trains last week.

Commuters said the number of buses sent to replace trains was inadequate with some not turning up at all while others left earlier than scheduled.

The transport operator’s acting general manager Paul Tawharu said bus replacement services were a “constant area for improvement”.

“This summer we trialled new real-time tracking for bus replacements, and quickly learned where issues with coordinating timings and connections were happening.

“As soon as we detect issues we quickly work with our rail operator Transdev to understand what went wrong and what needs to be done to fix it – we thank our passengers for their patience and understanding.”

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

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Two men charged with murder of Charles Pongi in Auckland’s Pt England more than two years on

Source: Radio New Zealand

Charles Pongi died in hospital after being shot in Taurima Reserve, Pt England. (File photo) Google Maps

Two new murder charges have been laid in relation to the 2023 shooting death of Charles Pongi in Auckland’s Pt England.

Pongi, 32, died after he was shot in Taurima Reserve on 5 August 2023.

In 2025, four men were convicted and sentenced for his murder.

But, Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin, of Auckland City CIB, said Operation Pastel, which investigated Pongi’s death, had now led to two further arrests in Auckland.

Baldwin said two more men were identified as part of the investigation and had now been jointly charged with murder.

A 28-year-old man appeared on Tuesday in the Auckland District Court and had been remanded in custody to reappear in the High Court at Auckland on February 4.

A 25-year-old man was due to appear in the Auckland District Court on Tuesday afternoon.

That man also faced a charge of presenting a firearm, Baldwin said.

“We’re pleased to have laid further charges in this investigation.”

“I’m unable to comment further at this time with the court process ongoing for these two men, as well as a 21-year-old man who will be subject of a re-trial later this year.”

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

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Police concerned with increase in nitrous oxide use while driving

Source: New Zealand Police

Bay of Plenty Police are seeing a concerning increase of nitrous oxide use while driving.

Police are aware of some people illegitimately using small sliver cannisters while driving, putting all road users at significant risk.

Inhaling nitrous oxide can cause euphoria and dissociation, among other side effects. Whilst these effects are generally short term, they seriously impact a person’s capability to drive and make cognitive decisions.

At 3pm on Wednesday 7 January, a Rotorua driver was stopped after a member of the public observed the driver inhaling from a balloon on Te Ngae Road.

The vehicle was followed and stopped by police shortly after. The 18-year-old driver has been charged with dangerous driving and was forbidden to drive.

Inspector Phil Gillbanks, Bay of Plenty Road Policing Manager, says it’s extremely concerning behaviour.

“The effects might be temporary, but there is no margin for error when you’re driving tonnes of metal around. If you black out while you’re driving then you’re likely to kill or maim yourself, your passengers, or some other innocent person – why would you want to take that risk?

“Nitrous oxide, or any drugs or alcohol have no place in your system if you’re driving. Police are investigating a number of serious crashes – including fatal crashes on behalf of the Coroner – across New Zealand where huffing nitrous oxide, or ‘nangs’ is a potential contributor, including in the Bay of Plenty.”

In just October last year there was widespread publicity about a number of avoidable deaths as a result of young people driving while significantly impaired by nitrous oxide.

You can find out more about nitrous oxide and its effects here.

“If you see someone inhaling from balloons or similar items while driving, call 111 immediately.

“You could save a life,” says Inspector Gillbanks.

“If you have any information concerning the illegal sale of nitrous oxide, or anywhere this is being sold for other than its intended purpose, please notify Police via our 105 service.”

If you’re concerned about your own drinking or drug taking, you can reach out to the Alcohol Drug Helpline on 0800 787 797, or text 8681.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Fatal crash, Rangitikei

Source: New Zealand Police

A person has died following a crash in Rangitikei this morning.

The crash on Taihape-Napier Road, involving two vehicles and a pedestrian, was reported just after 11:20am.

The pedestrian died at the scene. The drivers of the two vehicles involved sustained moderate to serious injuries.

Taihape-Napier Road remains closed near Comet Road while a scene examination is conducted.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Fatal crash: Rangitikei

Source: New Zealand Police

A person has died following a crash in Rangitikei this morning.

The crash on Taihape-Napier Road, involving two vehicles and a pedestrian, was reported just after 11:20am.

The pedestrian died at the scene. The drivers of the two vehicles involved sustained moderate to serious injuries.

Taihape-Napier Road remains closed near Comet Road while a scene examination is conducted.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Manage My Health fallout: Will other medical platforms boost security?

Source: Radio New Zealand

Manage My Health was the victim of a ransomware attack. (File photo) RNZ / Finn Blackwell

As Manage My Health deals with the fallout from a data breach involving hundreds of thousands of medical files, other platforms are using multi-factor authentication to boost security.

Some 125,000 patients were affected by the ransomware attack on Manage My Health, in which hundreds of thousands of medical files were stolen and the hackers demanded US$60,000 (NZD$105,000) to prevent their release.

By January 3, the company said the flaws in its code had been fixed.

Then on Monday, oncology provider Canopy Health confirmed it, too, had been breached – but its attack occurred in mid-2025.

MyIndici, another platform used by doctors to share information and test results with patients and allow them to book appointments, was planning to introduce multi-factor authentication to its app.

A note on its log-in page alerts users of plans to introduce multi-factor authentication.

“Important update: Upcoming login process changes. Multifactor Authentication (MFA) will soon be required for added security.”

It’s not clear when the notice was first published, or when plans to introduce MFA were instigated.

MyIndici has been approached for comment.

Angus Chambers from the General Practice Owners Association said there were a number of patient portals available for GPs to choose between, and practices tended to use whichever software was most compatible with their overall practice management system.

Dr Angus Chambers. (File photo) Supplied

GP network The Doctors, which consisted of more than 50 clinics around the country, ran its own portal built by a company called Webtools. According to the FAQ section of its website, the app supported two-factor authentication, including face and fingerprint recognition.

Further down the FAQs, in a note to “address some common questions about the recent Manage My Health cybersecurity incident”, it clarified its systems were unrelated to Manage My Health.

“They are completely separate companies with different systems, technology, and operating models.”

“Centrik is maintained by a local development team and is regularly updated. The platform undergoes routine testing by independent cybersecurity specialists.

“Your app supports two-factor authentication for added protection. Where available, you can also use face or fingerprint recognition to log in securely.”

Callum McMenamin, a web standards consultant who worked on government website security, told Morning Report, two-factor authentication was essential for modern security.

“It’s just too risky not to,” he said – and it would need to be mandatory across all accounts for it to be effective.

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

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Motorists urged to avoid Auckland’s south-western motorway after truck fire

Source: Radio New Zealand

A rubbish truck blaze on an Auckland’s south-western motorway has forced two lanes to close.

Police said the truck spilled its load near the Lambie Drive off-ramp onto the motorway after it caught fire.

The two left lanes have been shut down, as well as the off-ramp itself.

The truck driver dumped his load which was on fire. Supplied / Checkpoint Watch Auckland

Smoke is also affecting visibility in the area.

The lanes are set to be closed for some time while debris is cleared.

Drivers are being urged to avoid the area.

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

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‘It only takes one spark’ – fire restrictions at the top of South Island come into force

Source: Radio New Zealand

The top of the south is experiencing high fire danger due to the hot and dry weather. File photo. RNZ / Tracy Neal

Bans and restrictions on outdoor fires are coming into force across the top of the South Island as the risk of wildfire intensifies.

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) has confirmed that its Marlborough South zone will move into a prohibited fire season from 8am Wednesday.

This zone covers land south of the Wairau River, including the flat land from the eastern side of SH1 between Tuamarina and Raringi, except the Royal New Zealand Airforce land at Woodbourne.

The region north of the Wairau would also move into a restricted season, meaning permits were required for all open fires.

Permits that had been issued for open fires in parts of Marlborough that are moving into a prohibited fire season would be voided once the shift happens.

FENZ district manager Grant Haywood said the top of the south was experiencing high fire danger due to the hot and dry weather.

“Fires will start and spread very easily and will be more challenging for our fire-fighters to contain and put out in these conditions,” he said.

“If anyone sees signs of smoke, please call 111 immediately.”

Fire restrictions were also being introduced further west with the Coastal, Waimea and Nelson North zones moving into a restricted season on Wednesday morning.

This covered Nelson, Richmond, Brightwater, Mapua, Motueka and stretched across to the Mt Arthur range in the west.

Most of the remaining areas of the Tasman district were already under a restricted fire season, leaving most of the top of the South Island under fire bans or restrictions.

Farmers, orchardists, contractors and forestry managers were being urged to check the sites of any old fires to ensure they were fully extinguished.

Holidaymakers and local residents had a part to play in helping prevent fires, Haywood said.

“[Monday’s] fire in the dunes at Tahunanui Beach showed just how quickly a fire can take hold, and how much damage it can cause,” he said.

“Ninety-seven percent of wildfires in New Zealand are caused by humans, and it only takes one spark.”

FENZ said activities like welding and grinding should not be carried out near dry vegetation.

Parking a car in long grass could also cause a fire if the hot exhaust came into contact with the grass.

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