Category: Public Media

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Cycling: Kiwi Kate McCarthy claims back-to-back UCI Esports World Championships

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand’s Kate McCarthy and Germany’s Jason Osborne were crowned as champions in their respective events. Photosport / Alex Whitehead

In a dominant display, Hamilton cyclist Kate McCarthy has claimed back-to-back titles at the UCI Esports World Championship grand finals in Abu Dhabi.

The unique esport uses stationary bikes attached to smart trainers and a virtual cycling platform called MyWhoosh, and has been held since 2020.

The event has a three-stage point-based system, with different ways to score across the different stages.

McCarthy dominated the first-stage hill climb and it was downhill from there, as she beat out all 21 other finalists.

She opened up a 28-point lead by the end of the first stage – an 8.4km, 24-minute hill climb that featured 554m of elevation.

The Kiwi scored almost the maximum possible points during the second stage, where they were awarded at five checkpoints throughout a 12km loop, pushing her tally to 433.

McCarthy put the competition to bed in the third stage, dominating across the eight short laps.

She totalled 597 points, finishing ahead of Brazil’s Gabriella Guerra, who had 525 points in second, and Italy’s Francesca Tommasi on 478 points in third.

“I was aiming to show what I can do up that first climb and then hopefully hang on for the next two stages,” McCarthy said.

New Zealand’s Kate McCarthy claims the top spot on the podium and back-to-back Cycling Esports World Championships. Photosport / Alex Whitehead

McCarthy’s family was in Abu Dhabi to support her, along with partner and former Olympic cyclist Dylan Kennett.

“It was so cool to have them here,” she said. “They have been watching every race.

“Dad turns up and my partner is there every weekend, and my uncle watches online. It was so good to have them here.”

Racing was online in the qualifying stages, but for the final, the top 22 riders competed in the flesh on stage at the Space42 Arena.

“It adds a different element, because we don’t see each other usually and we don’t get to see what each one looks like, so it is cool to bring it all together and to race each other in person.”

“I am still letting it sink in,” she said, reflecting on back-to-back titles.

“I was just so rapt with last year and with the year I have had, and to get this, I couldn’t have had a better year.”

The winners of both the elite men’s and women’s events receive US$15,000 (NZ$26,579) in prize money.

Former hockey international and Ironman athlete Bridget Kiddle of Marlborough finished 16th in her first trip to the esport world championships.

Christchurch cyclist Ollie Jones – who had been at the forefront of the global growth in esports racing – finished a respectable 10th in the elite men’s event, where Germany’s Jason Osborne won his third straight title.

Fellow New Zealander Michael Vink was forced to withdraw before the competition with illness, despite impressing in qualification.

The esports cycling world champs will once again return to Abu Dhabi in 2026.

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

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Qiulae Wong replaces Gareth Morgan as new leader of Opportunity party

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Opportunity party leader Qiulae Wong says New Zealand needs a tax reset. RNZ / Supplied

The political party founded by businessman Gareth Morgan almost 10 years ago has unveiled a new leader and new look.

Touted as a builder of sustainable businesses, Aucklander Qiulae Wong will lead Opportunity – formerly The Opportunities Party – into the 2026 election.

The party has been leaderless since 2023 and the announcement follows a nationwide search for the role.

To date, it is yet to reach the five percent threshold to enter parliament.

In 2023, it scooped 2.2 percent of the vote – 0.2 percent shy of its best election result of 2.4 percent in 2017 – under Morgan.

The party says Wong has founded and supported several start-ups in the fashion sector in London, “working to build ethical and sustainable practices into global brands like Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney”.

She returned to New Zealand in 2022 and has most recently worked at financial consultancy firm KPMG.

Wong said the party stands for transformative system change and would break the gridlock of left-right bloc politics.

Opportunity has also revealed its “tax reset” policy, which includes a Citizen’s Income, a Land Value Tax and Flat Income tax.

Wong said New Zealand needed a tax reset.

“We can’t keep patching and tinkering with the foundations that hold up this country,” Wong said.

“Our addiction to high house prices is robbing young Kiwis of security, and locking capital away from the innovators and community champions, who are building our future.

“It’s time to modernise tax.”

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‘More fun in your 20s in the 70s’: Fran Lebowitz still going strong

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fran Lebowitz has for decades entertained by lambasting the ridiculous. In her 20s in New York City, she wrote a column for Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine. Half a century on and she’s still going strong.

It’s a very different city to the one she landed in 50 years’ ago she told RNZ’s Saturday Morning.

“The city was extremely dangerous then. That’s why when people now, from a point of view of crime, they say, oh, the city’s more dangerous now, I laugh. It seems like nothing to me.”

Fran Lebowitz.

Brigitte Lacombe

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Privacy commissioner insists New Zealand’s laws need modernising

Source: Radio New Zealand

Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster. VNP / Phil Smith

Privacy commissioner Michael Webster says the country’s laws must be modernised to protect better New Zealanders.

Privacy complaints have risen by a fifth in the last financial year and serious privacy breaches notified by organisations have risen more than 40 percent, the commission’s 2024/25 annual report said.

One case study in the report included screenshots of a school teacher’s messages to their colleagues being sent to the principal, after their Google and Facebook accounts were left logged in on their work laptop, despite leaving the job.

At first, the school resisted the commission investigation, but later conceded it had breached the collection principles of the Act and interfered with all three teachers’ privacy.

“We assisted the parties to reach a suitable resolution,” the case study said.

Webster said, in the recent survey, 80 percent of respondents wanted more control over collection and use of their personal information, and about two-thirds worried for their or their children’s privacy.

It was “easy to see why”, Webster said.

“People are right to worry, as more needs to be done to improve New Zealander’s privacy. The Privacy Act currently provides insufficient incentives for many organisations to understand or meet even the most basic privacy requirements.”

The annual report said financial incentives were lacking “to take privacy seriously”.

“This situation means that many agencies have a low level of understanding of the Act.”

Webster’s office is seeking amendments to the law in an attempt to up incentives and give people more power to make agencies delete their personal information.

“Our 2025 survey also showed strong support for strengthening the Privacy Commissioner’s powers.”

The annual report showed a 21 percent jump in complaints to almost 1600 and serious privacy breach notifications up 43 percent to almost 600.

The rise in volumes slowed down their response time since the year before.

“The key challenge facing us is the increasing volumes, and complexity of privacy breaches and complaints we are receiving.”

However, almost 90 percent of complaints were still closed within six months. Its “fast resolve” track, which handled 1200 complaints, had helped.

All its investigations that were externally reviewed scored higher than 3.5 out of five.

One goal was to crack down more, the report said.

“Continuing to strengthen our compliance and enforcement function is a key area of strategic focus”, alongside educating organisations about the law.

The report gave an example of holding Oranga Tamariki to account this year for “grievous” breaches, as RNZ reported, based on a review only released publicly almost a year after it was completed.

The office’s government funding had dropped from $8.1m to $7.6m.

“Even when our funding was [previously] increased, it was to a level below what we had recommended to implement the significant new responsibilities and powers that the Act provided us.”

Inflation and cost savings since had “subsequently diminished our funding in real terms”.

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

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Kiwi triathlete Hayden Wilde hits out at race officials as Dubai T100 turns to chaos

Source: Radio New Zealand

Double Olympic medalist Hayden Wilde knew his chances were over at the Dubai T100 triathlon. PHOTOSPORT

Kiwi Hayden Wilde has slammed race officials, after he completed an extra bike lap in this morning’s Dubai T100 triathlon.

Wilde finished eighth, after riding nine laps instead of eight on the bike in one of the most chaotic triathlons in recent history.

The result ended Wilde’s winning streak on the world circuit, after he unknowingly added 8km to the cycle section.

He wasn’t the only one involved in the mix-up in the race run by the Professional Triathletes Organisation.

A trio of top athletes accidentally sabotaged their chances.

Approaching the transition, Wilde, Belgian Mathis Margirier and France’s Marten Van Riel rode past the exit, and unknowingly completed an additional loop.

As the confusion ensued, more than 10 athletes ran one lap too few on the final leg.

Wilde told tri-today.com he was incredibly upset his chances had been hit by what he thought was an official blunder.

“They call themselves a professional race organisation,” Wilde said.

Van Riel was also furious, taking to social media to bemoan his loss of of earnings.

“I am honestly quite devastated right now,” van Riel said.

“I not only lost tens of thousands of dollars, but I mostly feel let down by an organisation.”

In the end, Germany’s Mika Noodt stayed calm amid the madness to cross the finish-line first.

With several athletes filing protests – including American Morgan Pearson and those who unintentionally over-biked – officials conducted a formal review.

Final race places were based on each athletes position at the completion of the seventh lap of the eight-loop run course.

That was deemed the last point with consistent and verifiable timing.

The standings were repeatedly reshuffled, with Pearson eventually declared the champion.

Triathlon is becoming an increasingly crowded landscape with World Triathlon, Challenge Ironman and the Professional Triathletes Organisation all running their own race series and world championships.

Final Placings

1. Morgan Pearson

2. Mika Noodt

3. Gregory Barnaby

4. Jason West

5. Vincent Luis

6. Sam Dickinson

7. Jonas Schomburg

8. Hayden Wilde

9. Filipe Azevedo

10. Pieter Heemeryck

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Several hurt in Otago gorge crash

Source: Radio New Zealand

Map of the affected region. NZTA / Waka Kotahi

Drivers are being asked to avoid Central Otago’s Kawerau Gorge after a two-vehicle crash left a car in a bank.

Police said several people were injured in the crash on State Highway 6 between Gibbston and Cromwell, which happened around midday on Sunday.

The New Zealand Transport Agency said the road may need to be closed and asked people to avoid the area.

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GP owners want separate primary health organisation after big corporates make their own

Source: Radio New Zealand

General practice owners are frustrated with what they call “bloated bureaucracy” at primary health organisations. RNZ

  • General Practice Owners Association moves to set up another PHO after big corporates do likewise
  • GenPro says it’s responding to demand from members fed up with red tape and costs
  • PHOs say GPs already get 100 percent of patient funding but they have a bigger mandate

Frustration among general practice owners with what they call “bloated bureaucracy” is behind a move to set up a breakaway nationwide primary health organisation (PHO).

The General Practice Owners Association (GenPro), which has made an application to Health NZ, said it would ensure more money for frontline patient care.

Its chair, Dr Angus Chambers, said the new entity would be a standalone organisation, enabling GenPro to continue to advocate for its members without any conflict of interest.

“GenPro is not and will not be a PHO. But we’d welcome a lean, cost-effective PHO for GenPro members that reduces the bureaucratic burden on the health system and facilitates greater funding for high-quality, sustainable, accessible, and equitable front-line patient care.”

PHOs are not-for-profit organisations, funded by Health NZ to oversee primary care, including general practices.

There are currently about 30 PHOs, made up of practices working together to care for the patients enrolled with them.

GenPro chair Dr Angus Chambers. Supplied

GenPro’s move comes in the same week that Green Cross became the second big corporate to receive approval from Health NZ to set up its own PHO.

Its 54 practices – which are currently distributed among multiple PHOs – will shift to a stand-alone entity, Community Care Ltd, from 1 July 2026.

Another corporate provider, Tend, started operating its own PHO in July after receiving approval in May.

Chambers said his members feared this would give the corporates a competitive advantage.

“There’s a lot of concern among our members that we’re heading towards a duopoly like the supermarkets in primary healthcare, and we want to see the settings changed to prevent that because it’s not good for consumers.”

A report by retired accountant Murray Lilley earlier this year highlighted the growth in “bureaucracy” within PHOs, and suggested they were siphoning off too much government funding before it reached frontline GPs.

The Lilley report was criticised for ignoring PHOs’ role in population health, including programmes for mental health, diabetes, immunisation, sexual health, smoking cessation and community radiology.

Chambers said while he was not sure that all the conclusions drawn from the report were accurate, it did “mirror concerns” among some GPs regarding PHOs, especially around “transparency”.

“Many feel we’re struggling, some have borderline viability, and we see PHOs growing and that really concerns our members.”

Current policy settings and existing PHO structures had significant problems, he said.

“These include conflicts of interest between patient care and commercial operations, bloated governance and management costs, a focus on accumulating reserves instead of funding front-line services, regional variations creating a postcode lottery, and trust issues.

“The new PHO will aim to address these challenges head on.”

PHOs respond

General Practice NZ chair Dr Bryan Betty. Supplied

General Practice NZ, which represents PHOs, said as registered charities, they were set up for transparency and obliged to publish audited accounts.

Its chair, Dr Bryan Betty, a Porirua GP, said PHOs were not simply responsible for passing on capitation funding (the funding for enrolled patients), but also for delivering wider population health activities.

“At the moment 100 percent of capitation gets passed through directly to practices and the majority of what we call ‘flexible funding’ [for mental health, diabetes and a range of other services] also gets passed through to general practices.

“But what remains in the PHO is for things like practice support: data and digital, supporting high needs practices that may be marginally sustainable, to ensuring things like interpretation services, transport for rural patients – a whole range of services that practices may not be able to provide on their own.”

There were some problems with the current funding mechanisms, he conceded.

“There is a need for more funding to be flexible to support patients across a region to access timely medical care, to access immunisation, screening, and other primary care services.

“Most individual practices can’t afford specialist diabetes nurses or podiatrist, for instance, they need to work across a group of practices.”

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

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Live cricket: Black Caps v West Indies first one-dayer

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Black Caps take on the West Indies at Hagley Oval in Christchurch for the first match in their one-day series.

They’ll then play at McLean Park in Napier on Wednesday.

First ball at Hagley is at 2pm.

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Devon Conway hits out against West Indies in their T20 series. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

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Second loss for Fiji rugby after defeat to France in Bordeaux

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fiji was beaten by England last week before being dealt another defeat on Sunday morning against France. AFP / GLYN KIRK

France defeated Fiji 34-21 in Bordeaux in their rugby test match on Sunday morning, scoring four tries in the process.

That means the islanders have lost two of their matches on their current three-match Europe tour, having lost to England in Twickenham last weekend.

Fiji were in the game early in the second spell, holding France to 21-all at one point, following their third try by winger Jiuta Wainiqolo, who plays for Lyon.

But mistakes and a number of penalties punished them severely, as French fullback Thomas Ramos made use of those chances with successful attempts.

Unfortunate for Fiji, a possible late try by Jiuta Wainiqolo was thwarted by Thomas in the 77th minute when he tapped a back pass from Wainiqolo on the line, with Pita Gus Sowakula in support.

Ramos was sent off with a yellow card for his action but the penalty try was not given, something Fijian captain Tevita Ikanivere pointed to post-match.

France led 21-14 at halftime, after scoring three tries.

That started with Nicolas Depoortere claiming his five-and-a-half minutes into the half, after the forward pack had mauled their way toward the Fijian line.

Two more tries came through Julien Marchand in the 13th and Charles Ollivon in the 18th as the hosts raced to an early 21-0 in the first quarter of the game.

That spell saw Fijian winger Selesitino Ravutaumada yellow-carded for an accidental shoulder hit on Depoortere’s head in a tackle and Caleb Muntz missing a penalty attempt and not getting touch from a penalty option.

But the islanders did not let go, throwing the ball around and mixing it upfront with the French forwards as well, led by captain Tevita Ikanivere.

Centre Kalaveti Ravouvou crashed his way through for Fiji’s first try in the 27th minute after his wing partner Jiuta Wainiqolo had ran the ball hard toward the French defence.

Flyhalf Muntz took a tackle and offloaded to halfback Kuruvoli, who flicked an inside pass back to Ravouvou.

Ravouvou burst through to score in-between the posts and Kuruvoli’s conversion saw Fiji trail 21-7.

Ravutaumada made amends for his earlier yellow card in the 39th minute when he also busted his way through tacklers to dive in over the line.

Kuruvoli, who had taken over the conversion duties from Muntz, kicked the extra point, as France led 21-14 at halftime.

What they said

France’s Ollivon said after the game Fiji was strong and they had a tough match.

“Very strong game against Fiji, they are always tough,” he said post-match.

The Six Nations champions lost last weekend to world champions South Africa.

Number eight Gregory Alldritt said they were happy.

“Fiji is a real good team and they [are] improving week after week and they showed it tonight.”

They play Australia next week.

Flying Fijian captain Tevita Ikanivere said they let themselves down with their own mistakes and discipline.

“We are gutted,” he said post-match.

“We think we had them, but discipline let us down again. We fell short and we will learn from it as we move towards Spain and try and win.

“We’ve got the courage and the firepower to take any team in the world.”

Ikanivere said they will need to work on their mistakes as they work on meeting Spain next week.

Head coach Mick Byrne said the team let France in early, but added they will improve.

“We just didn’t win a couple of set pieces and once we got moving we were doing all right.

“We worked really hard and they worked very hard off the field and there’s been a big improvement in the last 18 months.”

Decisive second half

Fiji started strongly in the second half after Wainiqolo scored in the corner, with Kuruvoli levelling the scores with his conversion at 21-all.

France took advantage of penalties awarded to them as Ramos kicked three points in the 48th minute, to lead 24-21.

He further added another three points in the 55th minute, after Josua Tuisova was ruled offside.

In the last quarter former England Under-20 Tim Hoty made his debut for the Flying Fijians, joining Atunaisa Sokobale, as the new prop pairing.

But the French made sure of the victory in front of their home fans in the 70th minute when Depoortere claimed his second try.

While the Fijians made a late surge through Wainiqolo, the hosts held on to claim the win, shifting focus to next weekend against the Wallabies in Paris.

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Missing man Louis last since at base of Mt Te Aroha in Waikato

Source: Radio New Zealand

Louis, 44, has been missing from Te Aroha since Thursday. Supplied / NZ Police

Waikato Police are renewing appeals for information as concerns grow over the whereabouts of missing man Louis.

The 44-year-old has been missing since Thursday 13 November, and Police have been searching the area where he was last known to be.

Louis was last seen at around 10am, believed to be heading to the Tui Domain Track via the Hamilton Street entrance, at the base of Mount Te Aroha.

“Since then, there have been no sightings of Louis despite our efforts to locate him,” says Detective Inspector Matt Cranshaw.

“As time passes, we are getting more concerned for his wellbeing.”

Police are asking the community to review any CCTV or dashcam footage in the hunt for missing man Louis. Supplied / NZ Police

Detective Inspector Cranshaw says Police have been searching around Te Aroha, with volunteers from Land Search and Rescue, and Canyon Search and Rescue in bush areas and streets nearby.

“We ask members of the Te Aroha community to review any CCTV or dashcam footage they may have from Thursday.”

Louis was last seen wearing a dark blue shirt, brown pants, and old blue and white striped jandals.

“If you someone that may look like Louis, or someone wearing clothes like this description, please contact us.”

If you have information that could assist us in locating Louis, please contact us online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or by calling 105.

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