Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

PSNA is cautiously welcoming the Gaza ceasefire and proposed exchange of hostages between Israel and Hamas. 

At least 7,000 Palestinians are being held in detention without trial by Israel and about 20 Israeli soldiers are held by Hamas.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa Co-chair, Maher Nazzal says the deal is a reprieve from Israel’s genocidal attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.

“It’s been two years of mass bombing and starvation.  It’s the worst atrocity of the 21^st century.”

“The real tragedy is that the main elements of this ceasefire deal were already agreed to nine months ago in January.  Israel was forced to let Palestinians return to Gaza City, and lower the intensity of its attacks.”

“Within a few weeks, the Israelis scuttled the agreement, shut off all food and intensified their attacks and are now ethnically re-cleansing Gaza City.”

“Expulsion is still the Israeli government’s aim.  Netanyahu must be disappointed that Trump is no longer advocating for removal of Palestinians from Gaza, but Netanyahu usually gets his way with Trump in the end.”

Nazal says PSNA especially notes the Hamas acceptance statement calls on countries supporting the deal – New Zealand included – to make sure Israel abides by the few specific conditions imposed on Israel in the agreement.

 “Israel has broken every peace deal it has ever signed on Palestine, right from occupying more than half of what was allocated by the United Nations as a Palestinian state in 1948.”

“In the 1993 Oslo peace deal, which the US also brokered, there was meant to be a Palestinian state within five years.  Israel made sure this never happened.”

“This time, there is no mention of the Occupied West Bank.  Nothing about return of refugees.  There is no commitment in the Trump deal for a Palestinian state, for Winston Peters to eventually recognise. There’s just a vague pathway with no timelines and it’s all conditional on Israeli approval,” Nazzal says. 

“So we have a message for Winston Peters, who is demanding PSNA and other protesters applaud the Trump deal as ‘case solved’.”

“Ceasefire or not, our campaign to isolate the apartheid state of Israel will continue to grow until all Palestinians are liberated.” 

Maher Nazzal

Co-Chair

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

Eugene Bareman, Chair of the Walk Without Fear Trust, has criticised “out of touch” politicians and a constrained judiciary regarding the sentencing of coward punch killer Daytona Thompson at the New Plymouth District Court on Tuesday.

Bareman was present on the court steps as the family of the victim, Daniel Nganeko, expressed outrage over the four-year, two-month sentence. He called for politicians to fast-track proposed coward punch legislation and reform the Sentencing Act of 2002.

“A sentence of four years and two months is ridiculous for a recidivist violent offender with multiple aggravating factors, especially when the judge's hands are tied by existing legal precedents. The system also allows multiple discounts from the starting sentencing point of seven years.

“What’s more distressing is that the judge in this case clearly wanted to impose a longer sentence but had to acknowledge that he was unable to do so due to existing legal precedents.”

Justice Paul Radich stated that there was no provocation in the offence and noted that Thompson had used considerable force in his attack.

He condemned Thompson for making a video of the dying 37-year-old, during which Thompson was heard saying, “Come around here, n*****, I’m not a kidder… I just knocked him the f*** out.” The judge described the video as cruel, callous, and a further indignity to Daniel.

Justice Radich said he could not have regard to community desire for a more severe sentence in circumstances, or contemplative legislation change.

“I must apply the law as it stands.”

He took a starting point of seven years’ imprisonment, before giving credit for Thompson’s guilty plea, his youth, the effect his imprisonment will have on his child, and background factors.

Thompson’s previous violent offending was not considered an aggravating factor in his sentence due to his earlier discharge without conviction.

In addition to the custodial sentence, Thompson was issued his first strike warning.

Bareman criticised the slow pace of legislative change regarding coward punch offences. “The Coward Punch Amendment Bill was introduced in September 2018 and was rejected by the previous government. Seven years later, people are still dying, and killers receive pathetically short sentences, revictimising families and prioritising the rights of violent offenders over victims, failing to keep communities safe.”

Video games affirmed as a source of connection, stress relief and mental stimulation in one of the largest consumer surveys ever conducted of more than 24,000 video game players in 21 countries across six continents.

Sydney, October 9, 2025 – The Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA), in partnership with video game trade associations in Canada, Europe, South Korea and the US, recently released the 2025 Global Power of Play report. The report reveals the universal social and emotional benefits of video games, confirmed by both peer-reviewed academic research and a survey of 24,216 active (weekly) players (age 16+) in 21 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom and the United States of America (U.S).

“As one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world, video games are a source of fun and entertainment for billions of players around the world. What the 2025 Global Power of Play report confirms, however, is that video games are much more than that,” said Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA.

“Combined with academic research and one of the largest consumer surveys ever conducted of video game players, the 2025 Global Power of Play Report confirms that games are more than just a source of fun and entertainment for billions of players around the world. In fact, playing video games brings immense value to the lives of global citizens, providing borderless avenues for connection, improving health and mental wellbeing and providing an important role in education.”

Globally, players agree on the positive social, emotional and mental benefits of game play:

• Having fun is the top reason people around the world say they play video games (66%), with stress relief (58%) and keeping minds sharp (45%) making up the top three reasons for playing. The top three reasons Australians say they play video games are to have fun (67%), for stress relief (59%) and to keep their mind sharp (50%).

·        Seventy-seven percent of players globally say video games help them feel less stressed, 70% report reduced anxiety and 64% credit video games with easing loneliness by connecting them to others. Australians feel similarly, reporting games helps them feel less stressed (75%), less anxious (67%) and less lonely (56%).

·        Players worldwide agree that video games provide mental stimulation (81%), provide stress relief (80%) and create accessible experiences for people with different abilities (78%). Australian players are again like their global counterparts, ranking mental stimulation (82%), stress relief (81%) and creating experience for people with different abilities (76%).

Players around the world turn to games for broader skill development: 

·        Players agree that video games help improve creativity (77%), problem-solving (76%) and teamwork and collaboration skills (74%). Adaptability (72%), critical thinking (71%) and communication skills (67%) also rank high. In Australia the top three skills players believe are improved by playing video games are problem solving (80%), critical thinking (78%) and cognitive skills (72%).

·        Half of all players worldwide say playing video games has directly bolstered their professional education through technical or behavioral skills, and 43% report that games have influenced their career or educational path. In Australia, 39% say video games have positively impacted their careers.

·        Over half (54%) of global players feel that sports video games have sharpened their real‐world abilities in that same sport; 38% of Australians agree.

Video games are not only a popular vehicle for lasting connections with children, family members and friends, but also are an avenue to forge new relationships:

·        Nearly two-thirds (62%) of players worldwide agree that video games create spaces for positive connections with others. 

·        Across the world, younger players (ages 16-35) use games to make and build relationships, with 67% saying they have met a good friend, spouse or significant other through video games. Nearly three in four (73%) of that same age group say video games help them feel less isolated and lonely by connecting them to other people.

·        More than half of players globally (55%) say that video games positively impact their relationships with their children, and 68% play with their children in-person at least monthly. 43% of Australian players say games positively impact their relationship with their children.

Profile of the global video game player (age 16+): 

·        The global video game player is 41 years old on average and is about just as likely to be male (51%) as female (48%). 

·        There are several countries where significantly more women than men play video games, including Brazil (57% to 43%) and South Africa (58% to 41%). In Australia it is 51% female to 48% male.

·        Globally, the majority (55%) of players play on mobile devices. Action and puzzle games are the top two favored genres in 20 of the 21 countries surveyed.

Access the complete 2025 Global Power of Play report at www.igea.net

About the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA)

IGEA (Interactive Games & Entertainment Association) is the peak industry association representing the voice of Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and video games industry.  IGEA supports the games industry's business and public policy interests through advocacy, research and education programs. For more information, please visit www.igea.net          

The Power of Play Report Methodology

The global survey was conducted by AudienceNet*, gathering 24,216 responses across 21 countries on six continents: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. Participants were aged 16-65+, and all qualified as active gamers, defined as playing video games for at least one hour per week via console, PC/laptop, tablet, mobile, or VR. Quotas and screening criteria ensured a minimum of 1,000 active gamers per country. All respondents were recruited via professionally accredited consumer research panels.

*AudienceNet is a fully-accredited global consumer research company, currently conducting nationally representative research in 52 countries. As a Market Research Society (MRS) Company Partner, AudienceNet is bound by the MRS Code of Conduct, as well as GDPR in relation to the collection and handling of consumer research data.

The pro-Palestine movement began – and must remain – a movement for 

Financial Statements Summary

This commentary should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements on pages 37 to 155. The Financial Statements of the Government received an unmodified auditor’s opinion for the year ended 30 June 2025.

The financial results of the Government in 2024/25 show that both total revenue and total expenses have grown since last year. However, as the growth in total revenue was slightly less than the growth in total expenses, the operating balance before gains and losses excluding ACC (OBEGALx) deficit of $9.3 billion was slightly higher than the OBEGALx deficit last year. When including the results of ACC, along with favourable valuation movements (primarily on financial instruments) the operating balance deficit was $4.4 billion, compared to an operating balance deficit of $8.4 billion last year. Net worth was $189.1 billion at 30 June 2025, $1.9 billion lower than last year, as the 2024/25 operating balance deficit described above, along with an increase to veterans’ disability entitlements, was partially offset by revaluation gains on physical assets.

In summary:

• Total revenue at $169.8 billion in the 2024/25 year was $2.5 billion higher than in 2023/24 and $0.2 billion higher than expected at the Budget Economic and Fiscal Update 2025 (Budget 2025) forecast. These variances were due in part to higher tax revenue (page 8).
• Total expenses at $183.5 billion in the 2024/25 year were $3.4 billion higher than in 2023/24 and $0.6 billion lower than expected at the Budget 2025 forecast. These variances were spread across several expenditure types (page 10).
• The operating balance was a deficit of $4.4 billion. While expenses exceeded revenue by $13.7 billion (page 14), this was offset by net gains on financial and non-financial instruments of $8.9 billion.
• The operating balance before gains and losses excluding ACC (OBEGALx) deficit of $9.3 billion was slightly higher than the deficit reported in the 2023/24 year (page 16), but $0.9 billion smaller than the deficit expected in the Budget 2025 forecast (page 27).
• Net worth of $189.1 billion has decreased by $1.9 billion since the 2023/24 year (page 26) but was $6.0 billion higher than the level forecast at Budget 2025 (page 28).
• Net core Crown debt at $182.2 billion increased by $6.7 billion since last year (page 19) but was $3.5 billion lower than the expected in the Budget 2025 forecast (page 28). As a share of GDP net core Crown debt remained unchanged since last year at 41.8% of GDP.

Overall, most key fiscal indicators are showing some signs of recovery…

Following a period of large deficits and debt rising sharply, many of the Government’s key fiscal indicators this year are showing signs of improvement. The year-on-year growth in total expenses was the lowest it has been since 2021. Consequently, total expenses as a percentage of GDP declined from 42.9% of GDP last year to 42.1% of GDP for 2024/25. The core Crown residual cash deficit, which broadly represents the cash shortfall to be funded by the Government, also reduced. The cash deficit was $6.0 billion for the 2024/25 year compared to a deficit of $19.3 billion last year. The smaller cash deficit meant that, in nominal terms, net core Crown debt did not increase as much as in recent years. Net core Crown debt has been increasing as a percentage of GDP since 2019/20, however, it remained unchanged since last year at 41.8% of GDP. Despite these signs of recovery, total expenses continue to exceed total revenues, meaning the OBEGALx deficit has widened slightly to $9.3 billion, although it remained stable as a percentage of GDP at around 2.1%.

Total revenue at $169.8 billion has increased by $2.5 billion compared to last year, with just under half of the increase coming from tax revenue. While growth in the economy has provided some lift to tax revenue, the impact was offset slightly by policy decisions reducing tax revenue, such as income tax threshold changes introduced from 31 July 2024. Most of the remainder of the increase in total revenue came from higher sales of goods and services revenue, driven by the higher wholesale prices on electricity.

Total expenses at $183.5 billion were $3.4 billion more than last year. The year-on-year movement in expenses predominately relates to the impact of indexation on most main benefit types, which are generally indexed to wage growth or inflation. Demographic changes associated with an ageing population has also driven the increase in New Zealand superannuation expenses. Offsetting these increases were decreases in some expense types relating to one-off expenditure in the 2023/24 year, such as impairments.

With the increase in total revenue and total expenses of similar amounts, the OBEGALx deficit of $9.3 billion remained broadly in line with the deficit recorded last year. In addition, the net gains from the valuation on financial and non-financial instruments were $4.2 billion more than last year. While returns on the Government’s investment portfolio were slightly weaker, this was more than offset by the lower losses on the valuation of ACC’s outstanding claims liability and the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) liability. Higher net gains during the year have resulted in the operating balance deficit of $4.4 billion being $4.0 billion stronger than the result last year.

The Government’s net worth was $189.1 billion, a reduction of $1.9 billion from prior year as the operating balance deficit reported in the 2024/25 year and the increase to the veterans’ disability entitlements were not fully offset by net revaluation gains on physical assets. The revaluation gains were largely due to upward valuations of state highways and electricity generation assets.

Net core Crown debt was $182.2 billion, an increase of $6.7 billion since last year. The increase predominantly reflects the additional funding requirement to cover the cash shortfall in the year, which is illustrated by the residual cash deficit of $6.0 billion. As a share of the economy, net core Crown debt has remained unchanged since last year at 41.8% of GDP.

…and were favourable against the forecasts at Budget 2025.

While most of the key fiscal indicators came in favourable to forecast, total revenue was in line with forecast at $169.8 billion. Despite tax revenue coming in $0.9 billion higher than expected, this was largely offset by lower than forecast revenue from the NZ ETS. The variance in tax revenue was mostly due to strength in corporate tax, on the back of stronger-than-expected provisional tax revenue and stronger investment returns impacting Portfolio Investment Entities (PIE) revenue. The weaker NZ ETS revenue was owing to fewer NZ ETS units being surrendered for emissions obligations than had been assumed in the forecasts.

Total expenses were lower than forecast by $0.6 billion with the variance predominantly driven by Crown entities, particularly in the transport and health sectors (discussed further on page 27). Overall net gains were slightly lower than forecast owing to net losses on non-financial instruments which were $0.2 billion larger than expected. As a result of the variances discussed above, both the OBEGALx deficit and the operating balance deficit were favourable to the forecast at Budget 2025, by $0.9 billion and $1.1 billion respectively.

The residual cash deficit was $4.0 billion smaller than forecast, which broadly mirrors the operating variances described above which impact cash, along with capital cashflows which were $1.6 billion lower-than-expected. This lower than forecast cash deficit flowed through to net core Crown debt, which was $3.5 billion lower than forecast at 30 June 2025.

The results are compared against the 2023/24 year and the forecasts for the 2024/25 year at the Budget 2025 published in May 2025. A comparison of the results against the forecasts for the 2024/25 year at the Budget Economic and Fiscal Update 2024 are discussed in Note 3: Explanation of Major Variances against Budget 2024 Forecasts.

Michala Banas and Brett Tucker reunite to lead an all-star cast in new eight-part crime series for TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+

Filming is underway on the new eight-part crime drama Blue Murder Motel for TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+.

Shot on location around greater Auckland, Blue Murder Motel sees multi-award-winning actress Michala Banas reunite with McLeod’s Daughters co-star Brett Tucker.

Banas and Tucker lead an all-star cast as married police detectives Vanessa and Peter Coleman, who are hanging up their badges and taking early retirement from the Australian police force. Their next chapter, investing in their dream – a 13-room motel in a sunny, oceanside New Zealand town. But only one week into their new adventure, paradise takes an unexpected turn when a body is discovered in Unit 3.

Banas is celebrated for her work across television, film and theatre and has built a reputation for versatility, strength in drama and comedy, and a willingness to take on challenging roles. She is widely recognised for her role as Kate Manfredi in McLeod’s Daughters and Amber Wheeler in Upper Middle Bogan and has appeared in a variety of well known series including Nowhere Boys, Winners & Losers, Bad Mothers and Halifax: Retribution. Banas has most recently appeared in A Remarkable Place to Die, and alongside Liam Neeson in feature film Ice Road Vengeance.

“This project has such a great energy, with an incredible cast and crew. We’ve created a really lovely family unit here on set. Reuniting with Brett on this show has been loads of fun. Because of our longstanding friendship off screen, we have a great chemistry and trust with one another as actors, so that makes the work all the more special” comments Banas.
 
Tucker, also an acclaimed actor with an international career spanning television, film, and theatre, is best known to audiences for his roles in McLeod’s Daughters, Troppo, and The Saddle Club. Tucker has also established himself over the past 14 years in the U.S. with standout performances in Mistresses, Station 19, Castle, and Netflix series The Residence.

“The writing is clever and full of surprises, and filming in New Zealand has been an amazing experience. Filming again with Michala has been a highlight. We've always had a great connection, and it’s exciting to explore that again in such a different story,” Tucker comments.

Joining Banas and Tucker on screen are well-known New Zealand actors Jayden Daniels (Tangata Pai, Head High, Shortland Street), Stephanie Tauevihi (Shortland Street, The Panthers, Agent Anna) and Jaime McDermott (My Life Is Murder, Head High, Shortland Street) , as well as an array of guest cast whose performances help create this unique world, and bring additional depth and star power to the show.

Created by award-winning New Zealand writer Kate McDermott and producer Steven Zanoški, Blue Murder Motel is produced by leading drama makers Great Southern Television and will be distributed globally by About Premium Content (France).

Executive Producers for Great Southern, Kathleen Anderson and Philip Smith, say: “It’s an absolute privilege to be working with Michala Banas and Brett Tucker on Blue Murder Motel. They’re very popular amongst the cast and crew and their onscreen chemistry is unmissable”.

Emmanuelle Guilbart and Laurent Boissel, Joint CEOs and Joint Founders of APC say: “We are proud to partner with Great Southern and TVNZ for the first time and thrilled to participate in the financing of this brilliant project. We are confident that Blue Murder Motel perfectly fits the current international market’s growing appetite for glossy, warm and funny light crime series.”

It is being made with the support of NZ On Air and the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate.

Blue Murder Motel will be available to audiences in New Zealand on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+ in 2026.

“We are thrilled to see another outstanding local drama series moving into production, featuring such a stellar cast and being filmed right here in our own backyard,” says Brent McAnulty, Acting Chief News and Content Officer at TVNZ.

“The continued investment in New Zealand storytelling enriches TVNZ’s line-up of local content, and we are proud to showcase the talent and stories that resonate so strongly with our audiences.”
 

GREAT SOUTHERN STUDIOS      
Great Southern Studios is a passionate and creative production house based in Auckland, New Zealand, with a commitment to making elevated drama that reaches audiences around the world. Its recent scripted projects include Friends Like Her (Warner Bros. Discovery), n00b (Warner Bros. Discovery), Spinal Destination (Sky), and One Lane Bridge (TVNZ, AMC). Great Southern is also renowned for its social-impact factual programmes, including The Restaurant that Makes Mistakes (TVNZ), The Casketeers (TVNZ, Netflix), Coast New Zealand (TVNZ) and Coast Australia (Foxtel, BBC). Great Southern Studios is owned by writer and producer Philip Smith, winner of the 2018 NZ Television Award for Best Script: Drama and co-creator of One Lane Bridgewhich was named Best Drama Series at the 2020 NZ Television Awards.
 
 
ABOUT PREMIUM CONTENT (APC)
APC Studios is headed by experienced principals, joint-CEO & Founders Emmanuelle Guilbart and Laurent Boissel and is a global boutique producer and distributor of high-end international scripted television. APC Studio’s distribution arm About Premium Content (APC) has become one of the leading and most respected global companies in the field of international sales of TV series, with a strong focus on high-end drama. Since its creation in 2014, APC has built a curated slate of English-language and local-language fiction from a range of global producers all over the world including hit drama Keeping Faith(BBC/S4C), Man in Room 301, Deadwind (YLE), Shadow Lines (Elisa Viihde), Pandore (RTBF), Gloria (TF1), Gigantes (Movistar), The Unusual Suspects(SBS Australia), A Very Secret Service (Arte) and Valkyrien (NRK).
 
Created in 2020, APC Studios’ production arm APC UK recently produced two seasons of Obituary for Hulu and RTE in co-production with Magamedia, Wolffor the BBC in co-production with Hartswood Films and two series of The Light in the Hall with Long Story TV and Triongl for S4C, Channel 4 and AMC+.

 
 TVNZ
TVNZ has been a cornerstone of Aotearoa’s media landscape since 1960 and is recognised as New Zealand’s largest network. Its portfolio includes TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2, TVNZ DUKE, and TVNZ+, the online hub for leading local and international content.
 
Content sits at the core of TVNZ’s operations. The network delivers a diverse and compelling schedule that caters to all New Zealanders, combining a strong commitment to local programming with a carefully curated selection of international titles.
 
Each TVNZ platform and channel has a distinct identity, yet their collective strength lies in their ability to work together to reach mass audiences nationwide. TVNZ engages millions of viewers every day and offers a broad range of advertising solutions designed to meet the needs of businesses across Aotearoa.