Source: Radio New Zealand
As a new year of cinema beckons, we look to the upcoming releases inspiring the most excitement.
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Norwegian writer/director Joachim Trier received rapturous plaudits for his wonderful, humanist comedy drama The Worst Person in the Worldthree years ago, and his follow-up movie has been getting a similar reception since premiering at Cannes earlier this year.
It sees Trier reunite with Worst star Renate Reinsve for a story about two sisters dealing with their estranged filmmaker father, played by the great Stellan Skarsgård. January 8.
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Timothée Chalamet’s ascension to major leading man status continues with this odd-sounding movie that has already been hailed by many as the best of 2025. Like many would-be Oscar contenders, the international rollout is somewhat delayed to benefit from buzz, so we get it this year.
Chalamet plays an aspiring ping pong champion in New York in the 1950s. We’ve all been waiting for a ping pong movie, we just didn’t know it. January 15.
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Despite the punishingly generic title, all the elements are in place for this crime thriller: it’s adapted from a novella by acclaimed crime writer Don Winslow (City on Fire, Cartel), and features a heavyweight cast in the form of Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffallo, Barry Keoghan and Halle Berry.
It concerns a career criminal (Hemsworth) eyeing one last score, naturally. February 12.
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New Zealand-born, England-based filmmaker Taratoa Stappard makes his feature directorial debut with this “Māori gothic” film set in 1859 England (but filmed in New Zealand), and follows the titular young Māori woman (played by Ariana Osborne) as she fights to reclaim her identity and culture in the midst of Aotearoa’s colonial upheaval. The chills-inducing trailer bodes very well. February 12.
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Stars Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna all return for this twenty years-later sequel to the beloved comedy hit.
I am most intrigued to see how they factor in the massive reduction in the power of magazines in our culture. April 30.
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Based on a UFO-centric original idea by Steven Spielberg, which was then turned into a screenplay by one of his go-to-guys, David Koepp (Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds), this mysterious project stars Josh O’Connor, Emily Blunt and Colin Firth and remained unnamed until just recently. The prospect of Spielberg being back in popcorn blockbuster mode is very exciting indeed. June 12.
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Although I’m generally against Disney’s live action remakes of its own animated titles, the pure Aotearoa New Zealand-iness of Moana means I can’t help but be excited to see this Pacific Island fairy tale come to vivid life. July 9.
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After showing that a biopic about a physicist could make a billion dollars at the box office, Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) has chosen to follow that up by adapting one of the most iconic stories in human history.
Matt Damon plays Odysseus, who just wants to go home, and is surrounded by a horse-load (sorry) of major stars that only Nolan could attract. With Nolan’s refreshing emphasis on the physical filmmaking (as opposed to digital), the epicness here is guaranteed to be epic indeed. July 16.
Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin takes on directing duties as well for this follow-up to his (and director David Fincher’s) acclaimed origins-of-Facebook drama The Social Network (2010).
This one apparently…reckons…with how Facebook/social media resulted in the rise of you-know-who and helped propel the world into its current state of rapidly escalating chaos. Succession’s Jeremy Strong plays Mark Zuckerberg this time. October 8.
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The first two Dune movies covered only the first book, so this third film will take its cues from the second book, Dune Messiah, when things started to get really weird, and author Frank Herbert’s points about leadership really began to coalesce.
So it’s, you know, timely. Robert Pattinson joins the cast as the villain. It’s impossible to imagine anyone but Denis Villeneuve pulling off the first two, so thankfully, the Canadian director is returning. December 17.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Source: Radio New Zealand
Winners and presenters at this year’s Golden Globes — the first major awards show of the year and a key indicator of Oscar frontrunners — will be handed a gift bag worth nearly US$1 million (NZ$1.75m).
Packed inside an Atlas-branded duffle are 35 luxury items and experiences, though not every recipient will take home every prize. Among the most extravagant offerings are nine ultra-rare bottles of French wine (available to one person only), two tickets to a lavish Jubilee event at the Liber Pater estate in Bordeaux (also for one person), and gold-infused shampoo and conditioner for three recipients.
Travel dominates the haul, with 18 global getaways on offer — including 21 tickets to two high-end New Zealand lodges.
One lucky recipient will receive a six-night stay valued at $31,307 across Canterbury’s Flockhill, Queenstown’s ROKI and Wānaka‘s Minaret. Another 20 recipients will each enjoy a four-night stay at Wharekauhau Country Estate, a 90-minute drive from Wellington, complete with a private winemaker dinner, valued at $14,450 per stay.
The gifts are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, allowing celebrities to pick and choose. Potential recipients include nominees such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson, Cynthia Erivo, George Clooney, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts and Timothée Chalamet.
“I just do my farm tour the same way I always would do it. And, yeah, sometimes you do see guests walking past the yards and things like that and they’ll have security with them.
“It doesn’t change my day, really, you just carry on.”
Last year, Wharekauhau was also awarded two Michelin Keys, part of an international rating system recognising the world’s most exceptional hotels.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Source: Radio New Zealand
Supplied / Fire and Rescue NSW
More than forty firefighters in New South Wales have been working to extinguish a number of yacht fires in a marina.
Fire and Rescue NSW said the incident was reported just before 3.30am (local time) on Friday.
It said four people were assessed by paramedics for smoke inhalation but did not need to be taken to hospital.
Police and the Port Authority were also at the scene.
MOSMAN – FRNSW , Port Authority and NSW Police working to extinguish a number of vessels on fire in the marina on the western side of the Spit Bridge. Called in just before 3:30am. pic.twitter.com/nBwcWcRPNy
— Fire and Rescue NSW (@FRNSW) January 8, 2026
According to Sydney Morning Herald, NSW Police said the fire started on one vessel before spreading and destroying another three.
It said four people were onboard the vessel where the fire originated from but managed to escape.
The Sydney Morning Herald said the fire was not currently being treated as suspicious.
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Source: Radio New Zealand
Cook Islands activists confront the EV Nautilus upon its return to Rarotonga, holding banners reading ‘Don’t Mine The Moana.’ Supplied / Greenpeace
Research commissioned by Greenpeace, showing that deep sea mining in the Cook Islands is unlikely to make any money, is being rejected by the country’s government.
The research, performed by Trytten Consulting Services in October last year, reviewed the economic potential of polymetallic nodules in the Cook Islands’ seabed.
It looked at the likelihood of generating profit through the two main ways of seabed nodule recovery – dredging and picking – both of which are yet to be used on a commercial mining scale.
Taking into account available market data, the analysis found it was more likely than not that the ultimate economic return for Cook Islands nodules would be negative.
“Although it is possible that an economic collection and processing system could be derived, analysis of the projected plans by two leading proponents, coupled with analysis of the available market structure suggest that it is more likely than not that the ultimate economic return for Cook Islands nodules would be negative,” the research stated.
The Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority has estimated there are 6.7 billion tonnes of wet polymetallic nodules in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
These contain minerals like cobalt and nickel, used in a range of products including smartphones, electric batteries, and weapons.
Prime Minister Mark Brown has billed the developing industry as a potential stream for generational prosperity, however the prospect of deep sea mining in the country’s waters has divided Cook Islanders – locally and abroad.
In 2022, Brown’s government issued exploration licenses to three deep sea mining companies – one of which is part-owned by the Cook Islands government.
These exploratory licenses were due to end in February 2027, but in November the Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SMBA) extended the licenses for another five years.
The longer exploration licence period effectively pushed out the decision regarding commercial deep sea mining in the country’s EEZ until at least 2032.
“As the licence holders have not yet completed their approved plans of work, they will be required to apply for renewal of their exploration licences for a further five-year period if they wish to continue,” SMBA commissioner Beverly Stacey-Ataera told Cook Islands News at the time.
Edward Herman, director of partnerships and cooperation at SMBA, said the government understands from the companies which have exploration licenses that “eventual commercial development has a real chance of being economic”.
He noted the companies were making “real, major investments” and that the government wanted any research to be “independently checked”.
“Our current licence holders were vetted for technical competency, and they almost certainly know more than anyone else about the potential cost versus revenue of their projects, given their specific insight and work done in their exploration scope,” Herman said.
“The level of studies required by the Cook Islands government are based on international standards resulting from decades of project development and learnings from thousands of projects both onshore and offshore.
“Nonetheless, before any minerals harvesting could be licenced, Government has a requirement for a much more detailed and complete report, than that of Greenpeace’s, which will be independently checked.”
Juressa Lee, Greenpeace Aotearoa seabed mining campaigner, reiterated the need to carefully examine the business-case and environmental risks of deep sea mining in Cook Islands.
“Scientific warnings are crystal clear: deep sea mining will damage the oceans and harm biodiversity,” she said.
“Millions of people across the world, including people in the Cook Islands, are concerned about the threats posed by this industry. When you add the major financial risks, it’s hard to understand why anyone is still pushing this industry at all.”
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Source: Radio New Zealand
Flowers are placed at the site where a woman was reportedly shot and killed by an ICE agent during federal law enforcement operations on January 07, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Stephen Maturen / Getty Images via AFP
A vigil is being held in Minnesota after a woman was shot and killed by an immigration officer.
The woman’s death has caused outrage by local leaders in the US while President Donald Trump claims the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officer acted in self defence.
According to CNN, thousands of Minnesota residents and activists are attending the vigil.
Flowers have been perched in the snow and candles lit near where the 37-year-old woman was killed.
CNN has named the woman as Renee Nicole Good.
“Say it once. Say it twice. We will not put up with ICE,” CNN reported the attendees chanting. It said some signs being held said “Killer ICE off our streets”.
CNN said speakers said the actions of ICE officers were unacceptable and a “direct result of a what they called militarized state with no accountability”.
They called for the officer responsible for Good’s death to face charges, CNN reported.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Source: Radio New Zealand
Despite what your group text may believe, the return of Connor Storrie’s mustache is not the biggest storyline of the Actor Award nominations.
The Heated Rivalry breakout star and Abbott Elementary’s Janelle James announced the nominees for the Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA, which were formerly known as the SAG Awards and celebrate acting across film and television, voted on by actors in the Screen Actors Guild.
In some of the categories the voters this time around took a “this, but not that” approach.
US actress Janelle James and US actor Connor Storrie announce Ariana Grande as a nominee for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture during the 32nd Annual Actors Awards nominations announcement in Los Angeles on 7 January, 2026.
AFP / Valerie Macon
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Source: Radio New Zealand
The Cook Islands Maritime Authority says the Bertha is deceptively continuing to use Cook Islands Identifiers despite being deregistered in November 2024. Marine Traffic/Jerry Liew
The Cook Islands says a US sanctioned oil tanker is falsely using their country’s identifiers to evade capture.
The Bertha, which flew under the Cooks flag for almost nine months in 2024, is among at least 16 vessels that have reportedly attempted to evade US blockades in Venezuela.
The New York Times reported the Bertha, under the false name of Ekta, has been located by US authorities in the Carribean, but has yet to be captured.
Others have either been captured, or have spoofed (turned off) their signals to evade tracking, the NYT reported.
A major American naval blockade on Venezuela’s energy exports was introduced last month.
The Bertha was sanctioned for transportation of Iranian crude oil in December 2024, less than a month after it was deregistered by Maritime Cook Islands in November.
“It appears that Bertha is continuing to use Cook Islands identifiers (MMSI 518999103 and Call Sign E5U5084) in her Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions.” the authority said in a statement today.
This deceptive practice enables the vessel to show falsely as being registered with the Cook Islands on commercial tracking platforms.”
Numerous Cooks-flagged ships have been identified with Russia’s “shadow fleet” of vessels illicitly trading in Russian and Iranian crude oil.
Maritime Cook Islands said vessels within the “shadow fleet” are usually deceptive in their location signalling through Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions. This typically includes spoofing locations and broadcasting false vessel identities.
MarineTraffic.com, which lists the Bertha under the Cooks flag, reported the vessels last location near the Gulf of Guinea on December 23rd.
The Cook Islands Maritime Authority has been approached for further comment.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Source: Radio New Zealand
By Christine Rovi of PMN
123RF
A major genetic study has revealed how Pacific people helped move pigs across the ocean for thousands of years, shaping island life, culture, and ecosystems from Southeast Asia to Polynesia.
The study, published in the journal Science, looked at the DNA of more than 700 pigs, including living animals and archaeological remains.
By comparing their genomes, researchers were able to track where pigs came from, when they arrived on different islands, and how they mixed with local pig species.
The research was led by Professor Laurent Frantz from Queen Mary University of London and Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Dr David Stanton from Cardiff University, and Professor Greger Larson from the University of Oxford.
Scientists from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vanuatu were also part of the team.
For a long time, scientists believed many animals could not cross a major natural divide known as the Wallace Line, which separates Asian wildlife from Australasian species.
While animals such as monkeys and leopards remained on the Asian side, pigs were found on both sides of the boundary.
The new study shows this did not happen naturally. Instead, people carried pigs with them as they travelled and settled across islands.
The earliest movements may have happened as far back as 50,000 years ago when people living in Sulawesi, known for some of the world’s oldest cave art, moved warty pigs to nearby islands such as Timor.
The pigs may have been taken along to provide food for future hunting. Around 4000 years ago, pig movements increased quickly as early farming communities expanded into the Pacific.
From a Polynesian archaeology perspective, the findings support long-held knowledge that Pacific voyagers travelled with food systems, not just people, and that pigs reflect careful planning and adaptation as communities settled new islands.
Researchers say these journeys started from Taiwan, moved through the Philippines and eastern Indonesia, and continued into Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and remote Polynesia.
Researchers at the Vanuatu Cultural Centre say pigs hold deep cultural value there and were intentionally brought by ancestors than arriving by chance as invasive animals.
Stanton, the lead author, says the research shows how human movement across the Pacific reshaped animal populations over time.
“This research reveals what happens when people transport animals enormous distances, across one of the world’s most fundamental natural boundaries,” he says. “These movements led to pigs with a melting pot of ancestries.”
The study also found that many pigs escaped or were released and became wild.
In some places like the Komodo Islands, pigs introduced in different periods interbred. These hybrid pigs are now an important food source for the endangered Komodo dragon.
European pigs were also introduced during the colonial period, adding another layer to the region’s complex history.
Larson says pigs were ready to spread once people helped them reach new islands. “When people have lent a hand, pigs were all too willing to spread out on newly colonised islands in South East Asia and into the Pacific,” he says.
“By sequencing the genomes of ancient and more recent populations, we’ve been able to link those movements to specific human populations in both space and time.”
The findings raise difficult questions for conservation. Today, pigs are seen very differently across the Pacific.
In some places, they are sacred, spiritually important or central to culture. In others, they are pests, while in some islands, pigs have been present for so long that they are treated almost as native species.
Pigs for the Tongan King’s coronation feast. Kavaforums
Pacific scholars say the findings question Western ideas of what is considered “native”, showing that animals present for thousands of years are now part of Pacific landscapes and history.
Frantz says the research helps uncover layers of human activity across the region and challenges simple conservation labels.
“It is very exciting that we can use ancient DNA from pigs to peel back layers of human activity across this megabiodiverse region,” he says.
“The big question now is, at what point do we consider something native? What if people introduced species tens of thousands of years ago? Are these worth conservation efforts?”
Pacific conservation practitioners say pigs highlight ongoing challenges in the region, where their cultural importance must be balanced against real environmental damage.
The researchers say future conservation efforts in the Pacific will need to respect culture, history, and community knowledge instead of relying only on traditional definitions of “native and invasive species.
–PMN
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Source: Radio New Zealand
Polymetallic nodules in the western Atlantic Ocean. This image was captured on a deep sea research mission in 2019. NOAA Ocean Exploration
More than 3,000 people from U.S. territories have signed a petition opposing proposed deep seabed mining in waters near the Mariana Islands and American Samoa, warning of irreversible environmental damage and the exclusion of Indigenous communities from decision-making.
In a letter addressed to Guam Senator Therese M. Terlaje, the petition’s authors said the federal government was pursuing mining proposals without the free, prior and informed consent of the Indigenous peoples who would be most affected.
They argued the plans highlight the limited political power of residents in US territories, where local voices were often sidelined in decisions that directly affect land, ocean, and livelihoods.
The petition claims deep sea mining is incompatible with a healthy marine environment and threatens biodiversity, cultural heritage, and traditional ocean stewardship.
It adds, Pacific Islander communities depend on the ocean for their survival and identity, and that the permanent extraction of seabed minerals would amount to a one-time loss of resources that have existed “since the dawn of time,” especially as climate change accelerates environmental pressures.
The waters around the Pacific Ocean territory are estimated to contain large amounts of potato-shaped rocks known as polymetallic nodules filled with the building blocks for electric vehicles and electronics. Impossible Metals
Drawing parallels with past extractive industries in both the Pacific and the Caribbean, the signatories said such activities have brought long-term environmental harm while undermining self-determination and Indigenous governance.
They are calling on the US government to immediately halt any plans for deep seabed mining in the Marianas and American Samoa and to commit to inclusive, community-led decision-making.
The petition also questions why island communities continue to bear the risks of resource extraction for the global energy transition, while investments to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels remain limited.
Organizers said they would continue collecting signatures until the public comment period closes on 12 January and plan to formally submit the petition on the deadline.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Source: Radio New Zealand
Lord Fakafanua receives appointment confirmation from King Tupou VI at the Royal Palace in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. 18 December 2025 Tonga Prime Minister’s Office
The inner circle of Tonga’s legislative assembly has been confirmed, with new prime minister Lord Fakafanua announcing his selection of cabinet ministers on Monday afternoon.
Fakafanua will take on the police, fire and emergency services portfolios for his government, as well as disaster management, climate change and communications.
He has named Dr Viliami Latu as his deputy. Among his portfolios are justice and economic development.
Crown Prince Tupouto’a Ulukalala returns as the minister in charge of foreign affairs and defence. He has been appointed from outside of parliament, which is permitted under Tonga’s constitution.
Former prime minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni is also back at the decision-making table as fourth in the cabinet line-up. He has picked up the health and public enterprises portfolios.
Dr Taniela Fusimalohi, who was former prime minister Dr ‘Aisake Eke’s deputy prime minister, has also made it into cabinet as Minister for Lands, Survey, Planning and Natural Resources.
King Tupou VI has already appointed Fakafanua’s ministers to cabinet, according to Monday’s Tonga parliament announcement. This is a formal process enshrined in Tonga’s constitution.
The appointment of the King’s son, the Crown Prince, to parliament increases the size of the size of the legislative assembly, which has a base of 26 elected representatives from the general election. According to the constitution, up to four ministers can be appointed to Cabinet from outside parliament.
The only woman elected to Tonga’s parliament, Fane Fituafe, has also been named as a cabinet minister. Fituafe, who is a new MP, takes on a range of portfolios including women, social affairs and employment.
Monday’s cabinet announcement concludes the parliamentary election process that began with Tonga’s general election voting day on 20 November last year.
Twenty-six representatives (17 peoples’ representatives and nine nobles’ representatives) were elected by voters on that day – making up the country’s legislative assembly or parliament.
Following this, the group then conducted a vote for prime minister on 15 December, with Fakafanua winning over his predecessor Dr ‘Aisake Eke 16 votes to 10. Fakafanua was then formally appointed by the King to the office of prime minister, in keeping with Tonga’s constitution.
The King also appointed Lord Vaea as the speaker of the new parliament, and Lord Tu’iha’angana as his deputy. Both speaker positions can only be held by nobles’ representatives.
Cabinet lineup:
1. Lord Fakafanua
Prime Minister
Minister for Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Communications and Climate Change (MEIDECC)
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, and Prisons
2. Dr Viliami Latu
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Justice
Minister for Trade and Economic Development
3. Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala
Minister for His Majesty’s Diplomatic Services
Minister for His Majesty’s Armed Forces
4. Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni
Minister for Public Enterprises
Minister for Health
5. Lataifaingata’a Tangimana
Minister for Finance & National Planning
6. Semisi Sika
Minister for Tourism
Minister for Infrastructure
7. Dr Taniela Fusimalohi
Minister for Lands, Survey, Planning and Natural Resources
8. Dr Mo’ale ‘Otunuku
Minister for Education and Training
9. Sevenitini Toumo’ua
Minister for Customs and Inland Revenue
10. Viliami Sisifa
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forests
Minister for Fisheries
11. Fane Fituafe
Minister for Internal Affairs, Employment, Women, Social Protection, Youth and Sports.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand