Category: Public Media

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PM Christopher Luxon says US president Donald Trump should apologise for ‘racist’ Obama post

Source: Radio New Zealand

File photo. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said US President Donald Trump’s social media post was racist. RNZ / Mark Papalii

The prime minister says US President Donald Trump’s social media post – depicting his predecessor Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes – is racist.

The AI-generated video was among 70 messages Trump posted on Thursday night, US time.

It was later deleted, and the administration blamed a staffer after initially defending the post.

Speaking to TVNZ’s Breakfast, Christopher Luxon said Trump should apologise.

“Yeah, look, I think he should,” he said.

“I mean I think when he was asked I think he said he condemns it but the reality is I saw coverage of it, I lived in the US for eight years in North America, and I’m well aware of what that trope is all about.

“It was racist, and it’s right that it’s been removed. As to whether he apologises for it that’s ultimately for him, but I would’ve thought you’d want to.”

Some Republicans have joined Democrats in decrying the post and calling for an apology.

Trump has not yet apologised.

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

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Senior navy officer allegedly encouraged junior officer to kiss them

Source: Radio New Zealand

Judge William Hastings presiding over the trial of a senior Navy officer, for their conduct during an overseas operation in Fiji in 2023.  RNZ/Lucy Xia

A senior navy officer is facing a Court Martial over their behaviour during an operation in Fiji in March 2023, where they allegedly encouraged a junior officer to kiss them.

The hearing is sitting at the Devonport Navy Base in Auckland.

The military prosecutors have charged the senior officer with behaviour likely to prejudice service discipline.

Judge William Hastings has declined an application for interim name suppression, saying that the threshold for extreme hardship for the defendant and undue hardship for their family members hasn’t been met.

However, the defendant’s name cannot be published yet pending an appeal.

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One dead after crash involving truck and trailer in rural South Auckland’s Buckland

Source: Radio New Zealand

The driver and sole occupant of the truck died. (File photo) RNZ / Richard Tindiller

The driver of a truck and trailer has been killed in a crash on a rural road in South Auckland’s Buckland.

The crash happened on Logan Road in Buckland just after 7.30am on Monday, police said.

It involved one truck and the sole occupant died at the scene.

How the crash happened was being investigated by police, a spokesperson said.

At this stage the road remained closed while police examined the scene.

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Early-stage angel investment in start-up businesses grows for first time since 2021

Source: Radio New Zealand

Nearly twice as many new businesses were recieving investment last year. (File photo) Unsplash/ Declan Sun

Early-stage angel investment in start-up businesses saw positive growth in the amount of capital invested last year, for the first time since 2021.

Angel Association chief executive Bridget Unsworth said new deals attracted 8.6 percent more capital overall, with nearly twice as many new businesses receiving investment.

Deal activity rebounded strongly with a 34 percent increase in the number of deals completed to 167 from 125 in 2024, but with a conservative a 2.7 percent increase in capital to $13.9 million.

Unsworth said it appeared more investors were keeping dollars in reserve for follow-on investment, with the average investment per angel investor down 8 percent to $12,446 from $15,100 in 2024.

“Yes, the cheques are slightly smaller, but more companies are getting seeded,” Unsworth said.

She said the number of angel investors with a portfolio of five or more growth businesses rose 14 percent from 12 percent in 2024.

“I think it’s positive in that we’re seeing diversification across all the sectors,” she said.

“For a long time, software was 50 percent of all the capital that was committed. We’re seeing it spread more evenly across multiple sectors.”

She said deep tech, which focused on ground-breaking technology, was attracting more investment, with an increase of 22 percent over a rolling five-year average to $6.6m from $4.4m the year earlier.

“In a global environment shaped by climate solutions, national capability, and advanced technologies, this trend positions New Zealand well, provided capital and specialist expertise remain aligned,” she said.

“So all in all I think it is it is really positive in terms of how our market is evolving.”

Unsworth said the highlight of the year was a 34 percent increase in the number of active angel investors over the past year to 455 from 328 in 2024.

“We have got great investors coming into the space that are bringing not only their capital, but their breadth of expertise.”

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Call to levy services to keep financial mentor sector viable

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fincap, the organisation that represents financial mentors around the country, has made the proposal to the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

Financial mentors say organisations that benefit from their services should be willing to pay a levy.

Fincap, the organisation that represents financial mentors around the country, has made the proposal to the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

Forty-four financial mentor services lost funding in the latest round and Fincap spokesperson Jake Lilley said they are increasingly having to ask staff to take pay cuts or work as volunteers to be able to continue operating.

“We’ve had a lot close,” he told RNZ’s Nine to Noon.

He said it was a concern that the industry was also losing experienced people who knew how to navigate the complex situations that clients would seek help with.

But demand for their services has increased, and Lilley says many organisations rely on their services, including KiwiSaver providers who often suggest people making a hardship application seek help from a mentor.

Lilley said while financial services providers would have their own hardship teams, there were usually limits to what it was appropriate for them to discuss with clients. Financial mentors could look at people’s situations as a whole.

“You can get into a situation where the loudest creditor is the one who is paid when someone hasn’t got the assistance to look at the situation as a whole.”

He said some mentors said it took eight hours of their time to help a client with a KiwiSaver hardship withdrawal application.

Telecommunications and power companies also benefited from mentors’ work, he said.

David Baines, of Christchurch’s Kingdom Resources services, said his organisation lost funding in 2024.

“We were in a situation where government funding provided about 80 percent of our total income.” he said.

Of 11 staff, two became volunteers and four reduced their income, he said. But he said Kingdom Resources still received referrals from government agencies, even though funding had been stopped.

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Graham Parks named NZ Cricket interim boss

Source: Radio New Zealand

Graham Parks. photosport

New Zealand Cricket has confirmed Graham Parks will take charge as its interim chief executive until a full time replacement is found for Scott Weenink.

Parks, who has been NZC’s chief venues and events officer, has agreed to provide a stopgap as CEO, taking over from Catherine Campbell, who has acted as designated CEO since Weenink’s departure in December.

A statement from NZC said: “Graham is a long-serving member of our senior leadership team; has the skillset required for the assignment, is up to speed on current projects and events, and shares the trust and goodwill of NZC staff, members and stakeholders.

“Catherine Campbell will lead the Venues and Events function during this period.”

While Parks will continue to be based in Lincoln, he has agreed to split his time in Auckland to liaise more closely with NZ’s personnel and stakeholders.

NZC said it will advertise for the CEO role within the week and hopes to annouce the successful candidate by early April.

Scott Weenink. photosport

Weenink announced he was stepping down a week before Christmas following months growing concern that the board and the chief executive were no longer on the same page.

Weenink cited fundamental differences with key stakeholders over the long-term direction of the game and a potential change to structure of T20 cricket.

Sources told RNZ Weenink had been “fighting for his survival” since November amid a power struggle related to the domestic game.

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The shape of the game: Mark Robinson’s challenge to create new rugby fans

Source: Radio New Zealand

World Rugby Chief of Rugby Mark Robinson. Photosport

Mark Robinson doesn’t officially start his new role at World Rugby for another few months but already has made some strides into what looks to be a major brief from the sport’s global governing body.

The former NZ Rugby chief executive has been given the rather broad title of Chief of Rugby, which he explains will revolve around capitalising on commercial opportunities, bringing alignment to the game and, most notably, winning over new fans around the world.

“It’s about how it’s presented, how we present iconic events and even just how rugby is talked about,” explained Robinson from his new home on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

“Then as part of that, thinking about fan acquisition and the conversion of fans.”

Probably of most interest to lifelong rugby fans is Robinson’s view on how rugby is actually presented, and what can be done to create consistency. For example, in stadium replays have the ability to affect refereeing decisions, something that in 2024 played a big role in the All Blacks losing to the Springboks at Ellis Park.

Pre match entertainment before All Blacks v South Africa Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship, Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg. Nic Bothma/ActionPress

“The way that the match presentation responds, the commentary teams work, creating really much improved alignment around the way that looks and feels on match day. As well as the use of data.”

That last one feels like an enigmatic nut to crack, as for over 30 years of professionalism rugby has struggled to latch on to any sort of compelling data sets for fans other than the good old territory and possession.

Nevertheless, Robinson believes that figuring it out will provide a much easier pathway for new fans to understand the game. One of football’s greatest strengths is that the officials don’t actually officially communicate with the players verbally, removing the need for them to even understand each other’s languages. Rugby, on the other hand, sees the referee act as an extra commentator and can only do so in English at test level.

Jack Crowley of Ireland is shown a yellow card by referee Matthew Carley during the Quilter Nations Series 2025 match between Ireland and South Africa at the Aviva Stadium. Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

“It’s obviously seen as a key tenant, ensuring the game can balance accuracy within officiating and entertainment and spectacle,” said Robinson.

“I guess over the last little while, we’ve seen some amazing rugby but I think we’ve also seen some rugby that maybe the product could be improved upon.”

Then there’s the issue of maximising commercial revenue, something Robinson has been unashamedly upfront about ever since taking the top job at NZR. His view is very much that rugby is leaving money on the table, especially when it comes to exploring new markets, as well as broadcast and sponsorship deals.

“There’s definitely an opportunity to elevate the way we think and say more on our game, globally. And to do that, we need to be clear on our product, what the game looks like and what the game philosophies are is part of that. Areas like entertainment, spectacle and, and accuracy around officiating. Now some of the things we need to be really clear on. And I think the second part of it relates to the value in the game.”

Mark Robinson. Graphic: Liam K. Swiggs PHOTOSPORT

It’s way too early to tell what the outcome of Robinson’s new mission will be, considering he hasn’t even sat down at his desk yet. But for now, he’s been heavily involved in World Rugby’s Shape of the Game initiative, which Robinson said would provide better clarity around what’s emerging as a touchy subject in the rugby world.

“I’m sure we’ll be doing a lot as it relates to new markets, and that that will give us a clearer understanding of preserving aspects of the history and the traditions of the game, the values associated with it. While we’re pushing new frontiers, I’m sure there are ways that we can harness both.”

That’s all well and good, but the nature of online discourse around tinkering with the game’s laws has become so toxic it will make it a tough sell. For example, some of the northern hemisphere reactions to Super Rugby Pacific’s recent changes are bafflingly over the top considering they don’t even compete in the competition. But the perception is there that the likes of New Zealand and Australia are attempting to get laws changed to suit the style of play, which admittedly is not entirely unfair. Ever the agent of change, Robinson can see a way forward, though.

“I think there’s shifts hinged around the need, the acknowledgment to evolve in some areas, quickly. At the top of the list is to be more, you know, engaged, thoughtful and adaptable around fans.”

That does lead into the fact that if this role ends up being as substantial as it could be, New Zealand and its rugby allies find themselves with a powerful player in the administrative scene. For now though, Robinson is looking forward to getting in and attempting make new fans around the world, while reaffirming the love of rugby that already exists.

“With the World Cups coming up, new competitions like the Nation’s Championship, the Greatest Rivalry Tour. They’re a great shop window opportunities for the for the product to be positioned as best as possible.”

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

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Major bank raises medium-term fixed term mortgage rates

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ

The rise in home loan rates continues with ASB Bank the latest to increase medium-term fixed mortgages.

It has marginally lowered its six-month rates, but loans for one year through to three years have been raised between 10 and 20 basis points.

ASB Bank said the rises reflected the increase in wholesale interest rates, which had risen more than half a percentage point since the last Reserve Bank decision at the end of last November.

ASB’s six month rate is 4.59 percent, down six basis points. The one year rate has risen to 4.59 percent, the 18-month rate 4.75%, two years now sits at 4.95 percent and the three year rate is 5.19 percent.

All major retail banks have their fixed mortgage rates over the past couple of weeks.

Last week BNZ cut its six-month rate by 20 basis points to 4.49 percent. But the four-year rate lifts by 26 basis points to 5.55 percent and the five-year by 40 basis points to 5.69 percent.

ANZ is reducing its six-month rate by 20 basis points and increasing its two-year and four-year rates by 20. Its five-year rate will increase by 30. That takes its two-year special to 5.49 percent and its five-year special to 5.99 percent.

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Review: Bradley Cooper’s ‘Is This Thing On?’ is a lukewarm bath

Source: Radio New Zealand

American actor Bradley Cooper’s latest turn in the director’s chair (after Maestro and A Star is Born) ambitiously tries to evoke the warm, low-key dramedies of a bygone era.

But its well-intentioned and often well-crafted parts never fully come together enough to really pull the heartstrings.

It’s all just kind of okay.

This video is hosted on Youtube.

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How fake NZ news pages are swamping Facebook with AI slop

Source: Radio New Zealand

An AI-generated video claimed to show Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at Waitangi. Screenshot / Facebook

Analysis – A flood of “fake NZ news” pages are swamping social media with misleading slop, including using AI to animate still photos of a Mount Maunganui landslide victim.

Dodgy Facebook pages devoted to churning out AI-generated images and videos are almost unavoidable on the site now – and they’re still fooling an awful lot of people.

In an investigation I conducted for the Australian Associated Press, a Facebook page calling itself “NZ News Hub” – which has no connection whatsoever to the now-defunct Newshub – has been pushing out dozens of posts a week that take the legitimate reporting by news organisations including RNZ, the New Zealand Herald, Stuff and others, and add sloppy AI-generated images or videos to them.

In one case, a video was posted that grotesquely animates a still photo of a 15-year-old Mount Maunganui landslide victim, making her appear to dance.

The page’s bio proclaims “NZ News Hub brings you the latest New Zealand news, breaking stories, politics, business, sport, and community updates”, but it does not appear to contain any original reporting.

For instance, on Waitangi Day, the page published a post that appeared to be a video of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at Waitangi, but was clearly generated by AI.

Nevertheless, the page, which has nearly 5000 followers, has dozens of people “liking” and commenting on its posts as if they were real. Many of their followers appear to be business pages and even include a few politicians.

A still image of a press conference by Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was animated by AI. Screenshot / Facebook

Attempts by AAP to get “NZ News Hub” to comment went unanswered.

Andrew Lensen, a senior lecturer in AI and programme director at Victoria University of Wellington, said that the “News Hub” page’s images were clearly AI-generated.

“These pages want to get as much engagement (reactions, comments, shares) as possible, in order to build their following/exposure and potential ad revenue,” he told me for my AAP piece.

False images of a recent flooding disaster at the Mahurangi River. Screenshot / Facebook

The easy availability of AI tools now has made it possible for pretty much anyone to launch a “fake news” factory, with little moderation by tech giants to keep the flood at bay. Many fake pictures show a “SynthID” watermark indicating Google’s AI tools were used to create them – but you have to know how to find that watermark in the first place.

False images of the Mount Maunganui landslide have flooded social media. Screenshot / Facebook

The Mount Maunganui disaster that killed six people led to a flurry of AI slop online, as RNZ has previously reported.

Many images circulating on social media don’t look like the actual site at all, another AAP investigation found.

False information about the victims has also been circulating.

An image of landslide victim Sharon Maccanico, 15, dancing was misleadingly animated by AI by the Facebook page ‘NZ News Hub.’ Screenshot / Facebook

A still photo that was provided by NZ Police to the media of victim Sharon Maccanico, 15, dancing was animated by NZ News Hub in a post to make it look as if the teenager was doing almost impossibly acrobatic dance moves, set to a jaunty soundtrack.

NZ News Hub has taken many recent RNZ stories and reposted large portions of the reporting while adding misleading AI tweaks to them.

One post took a recent press conference by Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis and used a still image taken by an RNZ photographer to create an AI video of them speaking about the upcoming November election.

Another recent post referred to RNZ reporter Tim Brown’s recent pieces on Tauranga parents mourning their daughter’s suicide, but used AI to animate an RNZ image so the couple appeared to be smiling at each other. Brown confirmed no such video was taken by RNZ.

Legitimate images have been misleadingly animated by AI in some cases. Screenshot / Facebook

Many images do bear the hallmarks of AI, but others are harder to discern. Still, there are typically tells.

An image claiming to be of police officers responding to recent anti-immigration protests in Auckland shows the “police” all have incorrect uniforms and extremely blurred and distorted faces. While another picture that claims to be from police operations to recover a drowning victim on the Mahurangi River last month has so-called police with “POPFIL” written on the back of their uniforms – and the river shown doesn’t look anything like the actual river.

Even the iconic NZ kererū isn’t immune to AI tinkering. A story RNZ ran last week about the dangers of the native wood pigeon running into windows was picked up, but the image was bafflingly replaced with an AI-generated bird that doesn’t look anything like a kererū.

An AI generated image based off a legitimate RNZ story. Screenshot / Facebook

It’s possible some of the AI images are being used to avoid copyright wrangles by stealing legitimate news websites’ photos, Lensen said.

“Trust in journalism is already a huge concern, and any source that presents itself as a fake source of news will just increase distrust further,” Lensen told me.

Many false Facebook pages also churn out stories about celebrities with enticing headlines promising “truths REVEALED” and scandalous information, which is rarely borne out in the actual copy. Such stories often link to exterior websites laden with pop-up ads and trying to build up traffic and clicks to eventually earn revenue.

False images of East Cape flooding generated by AI. Screenshot / Facebook

This “NZ News Hub” is hardly alone out there in slop-land. Pretty much every news event you can think of, whether it’s a shark attack in Australia, the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro or the assassination of Charlie Kirk, has had fake news posts and images smothering social media within minutes of the event.

Many of these pages are actually run from countries that are nowhere near where the news came from, such as Vietnam or Malaysia, Facebook page transparency information shows.

AI generated images often have trouble with text, such as this image that claims to be about recent sewage spills in Wellington. Screenshot / Facebook

Even if Facebook acts on these specific pages, dozens of copycats will likely crop up instantly.

There are multiple sites sharing fake NZ AI news images already. False images and videos can be widely seen on TikTok, Instagram, X and many more too, of course.

It’s part of the general social media platform decay that has been christened “enshittification” by author Cory Doctorow.

Lensen said he felt pages such as NZ News Hub showed traditional media should be very cautious on using AI in their reporting.

“As AI slop becomes more and more widespread online, people may turn back to these established platforms as a trusted source. But if the established platforms also use AI, then where do we go for the truth?”

RNZ has a series of AI principles that are available online and will generally not publish, broadcast or otherwise knowingly disseminate work created by generative AI.

Many of the “NZ News Hub” posts have been reported to Meta, owner of Facebook, but as of this writing they’re still up.

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