Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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UKRAINE: Children anxious, fearful after 4000 hours of air raid alarms in four years of war

Source: Save the Children

Children in Ukraine have endured an average of about 4,000 hours of air raid alarms – equivalent to over 5.5 months of constant alerts – since the start of full-scale war in February 2022, with constant fear of attacks taking a severe toll on their mental health, Save the Children said. [1]
Parents and Save the Children staff report that children are anxious and worried, while some children have developed gastrointestinal disorders due to stress. The last quarter of 2025 saw an uptick in the duration of alarms, coinciding with an intensification of the conflict in recent months, further compounding psychological pressure on children and families already living under prolonged strain.
Children in the frontline areas and in the Kyiv region have been hardest hit in the past four years, facing 7,000 hours of air raid alerts – equivalent to around 9.5 months, according to analysis of official alert data on sirens.[2] This means some children have spent nearly a full year of their lives under the sound of sirens.
Air raid alerts, warning civilians of a missile strike or shelling threats, can sound multiple times a day. When a siren sounds, children and families must decide whether to take cover in basements, cellars or subway stations with little or no access to water, electricity or heating. Many families, however, exhausted by years of alerts, are increasingly choosing the less safe option of sheltering in hallways or bathrooms away from the building’s exterior, illustrating the deep fatigue civilians face after years of constant danger.
Sirens, which can last from a few minutes to several hours or longer, frequently keep children home from school, and an estimated 50% of alerts [3] happen in late evening or at night, robbing many children of consistent sleep and a sense of safety.
Anastasiia, 8-, fled with her family from their hometown in Zaporizhzhia region to Zaporizhzhia city when full-scale war broke out. Like many children in frontline areas, Anastasiia- has learned to live with nights regularly interrupted by explosions from drones and missile attacks. When the air raid alert sounds at night, the family goes to the corridor where the children sleep on mattresses until it becomes quiet again – a routine that has become disturbingly normal for many families.
“It is constant emotional strain. Adults feel it, but children feel it more deeply. The nervous system is exhausted,” said Anastasiia’s mother, Veronika-. “When children hear an explosion, they worry, they get nervous.”
Save the Children, together with local partner organisation Posmishka UA, operates a Child Friendly Space where children can take part in educational activities, play and receive psychosocial support, offering rare moments of stability, learning and emotional relief.
Yana-, who works at the Child Friendly Space, said there are children there who have developed gastrointestinal disorders and children who are frequently ill.
“All this, of course, is psychosomatic, due to the fact that the child is constantly in this nervous state and their body is trying to protect them as best as it can,” she said.
Four years of war in Ukraine has made living in this state of constant distress a “new norm” for many children. Research by Save the Children in 2024 found that over four in 10 children were suffering from psychosocial distress, with some children developing speech defects and uncontrollable twitching, while others have terrible nightmares and even scream in their sleep. [4] A study in 2025 found that four out of five people surveyed experienced high levels of stress, predominantly due to the war [5], underscoring the nationwide mental health crisis affecting both children and adults.
Sonia Khush, Country Director for Save the Children in Ukraine, said:
“Four years of full-scale war in Ukraine have shattered children’s lives and ripped away their childhoods as they’ve been forced from their homes and schools, lost loved ones and lived in fear as air raid alerts, drones and explosions consume the world around them.
“Children in Ukraine, especially those who live near the frontline, are under constant stress because of air raid sirens both day and night. For some children, the only world they have known is one filled with air raid alerts that disrupt their sleep, interrupt their learning, stop their play, and signal constant, life-threatening danger day after day.
“Despite playing no part in the war, children are paying the heaviest price, including damage to their psychological wellbeing. All parties to the conflict must immediately cease attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools and hospitals, and end grave violations against children.
“We also need to ensure support for children’s recovery and mental health to address many of the unseen impacts of war that, if not addressed, can leave wounds that last well into adulthood. Sustained international funding is critical to ensure children affected by the war receive the protection, care and opportunities they need to rebuild their lives, and to prevent a generation from carrying the invisible scars of conflict for life.”
Save the Children has been working in Ukraine since 2014. Since 24 February 2022, the children’s rights agency has dramatically scaled up its operations, supporting children and their families with access to essential supplies and services. Save the Children has reached over 4.7 million people – including around 1.9 million children – in Ukraine in the last four years, delivering lifesaving aid, education, protection and mental health support
Notes
[1] Data on the duration of air raid alerts taken from https://air-alarms.in.ua/en, a source which aggregates alarm alerts, from official sources. Data in this press release includes official alerts only. Since the duration and frequency of alerts differ greatly by area, we used a weighted average taking into account latest populations estimates from the UN to calculate an average alert time since February 2022 across the 23 regions and Kyiv city for which alert data is available from https://air-alarms.in.ua/en,
[2] Calculation is a weighted average based on population for the following regions: Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Dniprov, Zaporizka, Kherson, Odessa, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv and Kyiv region.
[3] Based on analysis of alerts with a duration that fell between 9pm and 7am from https://air-alarms.in.ua/en, provided to Save the Children on 29 January 2026.
[5] 2025 study on mental health by the All-Ukrainian mental health program “How are you?”. Available here (in Ukrainian) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t0wPXZTPEJQUSi5ftDcNf8oQUX-bIQdl/view. 78% of people suffering from stress directly linked this to the war.
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Greenpeace – Govt announces critical mineral ‘slush fund’ as TTR flees the fast track

Source: Greenpeace

Today, as seabed miners Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) withdrew from their failing Fast Track bid, the NZ government has announced a $80 million dollar ‘critical minerals slush fund.’ Greenpeace is questioning if this signals an invitation for TTR to have another bite at the cherry.
It comes just weeks after it was revealed the NZ government has been in backroom talks with the US Trump administration over a minerals deal, which includes vanadium, found at TTR’s desired mining site off Taranaki.
“They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,” says Greenpeace Aotearoa’s Juressa Lee.
“The courts have said no, iwi have said no, thousands of New Zealanders have said no, and now even the Government's own Fast-Track panel has declined it. Yet here is Shane Jones, doubling down with $80 million of taxpayer money to try to breathe this destructive, failed industry back to life.”
In 2024, TTR withdrew from the EPA process right before new Fast Track legislation was announced by the government, allowing them to apply.
“In the same moment that TTR realises their Fast Track dreams are over, we’ve got the NZ government desperately finding a way to make their project a reality,” says Lee.
“We have to ask: is TTR’s withdrawal today a genuine exit, or just a tactical retreat knowing the government is orchestrating a 6th bite at the cherry?
“Is it planning to re-apply to the now amended and “even more favourable” Fast-Track, hoping the Government will appoint a more obedient panel next time, while the government uses its new slush fund to pave their way with infrastructure?
“It seems as though the Government is actively coaching mining companies on how to bypass the very processes that are meant to vet them.””If this is the case, we certainly hope TTR submits a new application rather than the same one it has flogged for a decade and we’ve beaten down at every step of the way.”
On Thursday, TTR released news that they had officially withdrawn from the Fast Track process, after they were given a draft rejection decision earlier in February. The Panel ruled that seabed mining in Taranaki could harm threatened species like pygmy blue whales and penguins, and could not be safely managed, and that economic benefits don’t outweigh the risks.
On the same day, Shane Jones and Winston Peters announced $80 million dollars earmarked for critical minerals projects in the Regional Infrastructure Fund.
“By funneling $80 million into these projects, Shane Jones and Christopher Luxon are laying the red carpet for overseas mining giants to treat New Zealand as a low-standard extraction zone that services US interests,” says Lee.
“This $80 million belongs to the people of Aotearoa for real infrastructure, like renewable energy, not as a consolation prize for mining companies who can't get their projects past a basic environmental assessment.”
“So who are these mining projects for? It sounds as though they are designed to pander to the wants of the Trump administration, and are not in the best interests of New Zealanders.”
“Iwi, environmentalists, community groups, and ocean protectors have been fighting for decades. Any attempt to start seabed mining in Aotearoa – whatever avenues or work around mining companies try to use – they will face strong resistance.”
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Defence News – NZDF air and maritime assets combine for successful search and rescue operation south of Tonga

Source: New Zealand Defence Force

The New Zealand Defence Force has combined its maritime and air assets to conduct a search and rescue operation for two men drifting in a wooden boat 105 nautical miles south of Tonga.

The two men were located by a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-8A Poseidon yesterday morning and were then recovered on board the Royal New Zealand Navy’s HMNZS Canterbury last night.

The P-8A had been en route to conduct maritime surveillance operations for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the South West Pacific when it was diverted to conduct the search for the missing boat.

Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre requested the aircraft crew search for the boat after it was reported overdue.

The crew on board the 11.5-metre wooden boat named Mysterious Wonder were reported to have left Tongatapu, Tonga on 8 February. Authorities were notified on Tuesday that the vessel was missing.

The P-8A crew flew to Fiji to base overnight before starting the search Wednesday morning. They found the boat at 10.15am. The call then went out to HMNZS Canterbury to rescue the men and bring them to safety.

Commander Wayne Andrew, the Commanding Officer of HMNZS Canterbury, said the ship launched a sea boat, rescuing the two men late yesterday evening.

“This was an excellent combined effort to locate and rescue the crew members,” he said.

“The P-8A crew did a fantastic job locating the vessel in a large search area about 105 nautical miles south of Tonga. We were fortunate to be in a position to be able to assist the two men.”

HMNZS Canterbury recently completed a successful trip to Tokelau supporting Governor-General of New Zealand Dame Cindy Kiro to mark the centenary of New Zealand administration of Tokelau. The ship was en route to the Kermadec Islands before it turned around to assist with the rescue.

The two men were flown to Tonga this morning on a RNZAF NH90 helicopter embarked on HMNZS Canterbury.

The ship will today resume passage to Raoul Island, to assist MetService and Earth Sciences New Zealand personnel to carry out upgrade and maintenance tasks of critical weather, tsunami and volcano monitoring equipment and facilities.

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Environment – Seabed mining company TTR gives up on the Fast Track process – Greenpeace

Source: Greenpeace

Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) have today issued their formal response to the Fast Track Expert Panel’s draft decision, in it, they say they will not propose any changes to conditions. There is now nothing stopping the panel from making a final decision to decline consent.
TTR go on to say they reject the “assumptions and conclusions” of the panel that the evidence TTR provided around potential environmental impacts were “uncertain, incomplete or inadequate”. 
Greenpeace Aotearoa seabed mining campaigner Juressa Lee says:
“It’s clear that TTR knows their project fails to meet even the pro-industry Fast Track Act process and are fast running out of options to get their doomed project across the line. TTR even suggests the panel misunderstands the application, an arrogant dismissal of the panel, the months they have dedicated to careful deliberation, and the wealth of expertise that has been provided to ensure the decision is well-informed.”In its draft decision released earlier this month, the expert panel ruled that seabed mining in Taranaki would harm threatened species like pygmy blue whales and penguins, and could not be safely managed.
“This is, in part, the result of a united position from all eight iwi of Taranaki, as well as expert witnesses who submitted on behalf of Greenpeace and Kiwis Against Seabed Mining (KASM),” says Lee. 
“It’s also what mana whenua, communities and environmental groups have been saying for decades: Seabed mining will cause irreversible harm to the moana and there is no place for this industry in Aotearoa.
“It’s time political leaders took bold action and stopped seabed mining once and for all by banning it in Aotearoa,” Lee continues.
The panel declined TTR’s proposal in February, finding seabed mining would harm threatened species like pygmy blue whales and penguins, and could not be safely managed. It will make its final decision before 18 March.
“It’s clear TTR is out of ideas. They have been defeated time and time again all the way up to the Supreme Court. The evidence is clear. There is no place for seabed mining in Aotearoa.
“The resistance to seabed mining is strong and unyielding. Iwi, environmentalists, community groups, and ocean protectors have been fighting for decades and any attempt to start seabed mining in Aotearoa will be met with further resistance.”
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Law and Health – Momentum for change on HIV criminalisation

Source: Burnett Foundation Aotearoa

A study of people living with HIV has revealed that despite advances in HIV treatment, criminalisation continues to create uncertainty and distress, with 60% of people living with HIV fearing legal consequences and many avoiding relationships altogether.
The full study and its findings will be released at a public event on 27 February at 3 pm at the Ellen Melville Centre in Auckland, by Positive Women, Body Positive, Toitū te Ao and Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.
The study surveying 247 people living with HIV in New Zealand, highlights the urgent need for rules and practice to align with modern HIV science. Over half of participants reported anxiety about legal consequences, particularly around disclosing HIV or discussing sexual practices with healthcare service providers.
“This shows that people living with HIV want to see HIV transmission managed by Public Health authorities, and not the Police. We have one of the highest rates of HIV criminalisation per capita globally, with at least 14 prosecutions since 1993,” says Liz Gibbs CEO of Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.
“The Government’s decision to sign the U=U Call to Action at Big Gay Out 2026 is a great first step in bringing New Zealand into line with overseas best practices on how to manage HIV.”
U = U stands for Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U). It means that a person living with HIV who is on effective treatment and maintains an undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV to sexual partner(s).
“Currently people living with HIV may face prosecution under the Crimes Act for HIV non-disclosure to their sexual partners (unless they are using a condom), even if they are on treatment with an undetectable viral load and therefore pose zero risk of transmission,” says Gibbs.
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Appointments – eG Innovations Launches New Zealand Operations, Appoints Joanne Bowey as Country Manager

Source: eG Innovations

Auckland, New Zealand – 19th Feb, 2026
eG Innovations, a global provider of digital experience monitoring and full-stack observability solutions, today announced the launch of its operations in New Zealand and the appointment of Joanne Bowey as Country Manager, reinforcing the company’s commitment to supporting New Zealand enterprises with reliable, high-performance digital services.
With a surge in hybrid work initiatives, cloud adoption, and digital service delivery, IT operations teams in New Zealand face growing complexity, tool sprawl, and rising operational costs. eG Innovations’ local presence aims to help enterprises simplify monitoring, improve service availability, and resolve performance issues faster across increasingly complex IT environments.
With over 20 years of experience working with cloud technology providers across the ANZ region, Joanne Bowey will focus on building strong relationships with local customers, partners, and managed service providers.
“New Zealand is a strategic market for eG Innovations as organisations place greater emphasis on digital experience, operational efficiency, and service reliability,” said Srinivas Ramanathan, CEO of eG Innovations. “Joanne’s deep understanding of the local market and customer challenges will be instrumental in helping New Zealand enterprises achieve better outcomes from their IT investments.”
“New Zealand organisations are looking for monitoring solutions that reduce complexity rather than add to it,” said Joanne Bowey, Country Manager, New Zealand, eG Innovations. “My focus is on helping local enterprises and service providers gain clear visibility across their digital environments, cut through tool sprawl, and deliver consistent, high-quality digital experiences for employees and customers.”
This launch aligns with New Zealand organisations’ focus on service availability, hybrid work enablement, faster incident resolution, and IT cost control. eG Innovations supports these goals with unified visibility across IT stacks, enabling IT teams to identify and resolve issues before they impact users.
As part of its New Zealand strategy, eG Innovations will focus on:
  • Building a strong local partner ecosystem
  • Supporting enterprise and government digital initiatives
  • Enabling managed service providers with advanced monitoring capabilities
  • Delivering localised customer success and support services
eG Innovations will also participate in the CIO Leaders Summit NZ, taking place at the Viaduct Events Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland on 23-24 March 2026, where the company will engage with senior IT leaders on the challenges of managing digital experience at scale.
About eG Innovations
eG Innovations is a global leader in digital experience monitoring and full-stack observability. Its flagship product, eG Enterprise, helps organisations ensure high performance and availability across complex hybrid IT environments by providing deep visibility, intelligent diagnostics, and proactive issue resolution. eG Innovations supports customers worldwide across industries including finance, healthcare, government, retail, and manufacturing.
For more information, visit https://www.eginnovations.com.
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Local News – Have your say on the future of Spicer Landfill – Porirua

Source: Porirua City Council

Consents to operate Spicer Landfill are set to expire in 2030 so the way we dispose of rubbish in Porirua has to change. Consultation on four options for the future of Spicer Landfill begins on Tuesday 24 February.
Previous plans to extend the landfill are on hold as a range environmental challenges mean new consents are unlikely to be granted.
Today Council officers presented elected members with four options for the future and received the green light to consult the community on which one will be best for the city.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker encouraged residents and landfill users to give their input so the Council can develop a preferred solution.
Mayor Baker says the status quo is just not an option.
“The landfill is much closer to neighbouring properties than desirable, meaning issues like odour are amplified. There are also ongoing environmental effects, geotechnical risk, and cultural impacts for Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
“We have no choice but to do things differently and unfortunately that will come at a cost, with increases to rates bills under every option. What varies in each option is who can dump rubbish at Spicer, how much they pay to dump it and the impacts on the environment.”
David Down, Council’s Waste Manager, says currently Spicer Landfill is a big income earner for the Council, paying for its own operational costs and generating an annual surplus of around $4 million. This surplus is used to reduce rates by 4-5%.
“Each option has significant financial implications for rates and increased costs for disposing of rubbish,” he says.
Spicer Landfill receives general waste from Porirua and the wider Wellington region. It was established in 1976 as a joint venture between Porirua City Council and the then Tawa Borough Council, now Wellington City Council, who retain an interest in the landfill.
Consultation options
Three of the options provide waste transfer station services on the same site. The fourth option, option D, would see the landfill closed entirely and no replacement service at all. The options are:
Option A: Public refuse transfer station
This option would provide a facility for residents and small businesses (with cars, utes, trailers, vans and small trucks) to drop off waste that is then transported to another landfill. There would still be recycling drop-offs and green waste services.
Option B: Public and heavy vehicle refuse transfer station
Similar to option A but with more space so commercial waste from large trucks can also be dropped off, with all waste then transported to another landfill.
Option C: Public and heavy vehicle refuse transfer station with clean fill disposal
This is the same as option B, with waste transported to another landfill, but option C would also have a clean fill landfill, which is limited to accepting earthworks or inert material such as soils, clays, rocks, and gravel – materials that aren’t hazardous or that create odour.
Option D: Close Spicer Landfill in 2030 with no replacement service
This option would see Spicer Landfill close at the end of June 2030 when the resource consents expire. There would be no alternative service provided by the Council and customers would need to travel to a transfer station or landfill elsewhere in the Wellington region to dispose of waste.
Kerbside collection services would still be available regardless of the option chosen.
Have your say
Consultation opens on 24 February and closes at 11.59pm on Wednesday 25 March 2026. Have your say by going to poriruacity.govt.nz/landfill-options or picking up a copy of the consultation document from one the city’s libraries or at the front counter of Porirua City Council, 16 Cobham Court.
Further consultation on the interim preferred option next year, as part of the Long-term Plan consultation in 2027, will inform the Council’s final decision on whether to proceed with the preferred option or a different option.
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Fonterra farmers approve divestment capital return scheme

Source: Fonterra
 
Following today’s virtual Special Meeting, Fonterra can confirm that its farmer shareholders have approved the scheme of arrangement for the capital return that’s expected from the sale of its global Consumer and associated businesses.
 
98.85% of the total shareholder votes cast were in support of the capital return proposal, which was set out in the Notice of Meeting for the Special Meeting.
 
Today’s result means Fonterra can now seek final Court approval to undertake the capital return of $2.00 per share to shareholders and unit holders, subject to the divestment of Mainland Group to Lactalis being completed.
 
Fonterra expects the transaction to be complete in the first quarter of the 2026 calendar year, subject to separation of the businesses from Fonterra and provided the remaining regulatory approvals are received within the expected timeframes.
 
Once these steps have been completed, the Co-operative will confirm the record date for the capital return, which will be within the five business days prior to the capital return payment being made to shareholders and unit holders.
 
About Fonterra  
 
Fonterra is a co-operative owned and supplied by thousands of farming families across Aotearoa New Zealand. Through the spirit of co-operation and a can-do attitude, Fonterra’s farmers and employees share the goodness of our milk through innovative consumer, foodservice and ingredients brands. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to leaving things in a better way than we found them. We are passionate about supporting our communities byDoing Good Together.  
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Economy – OCR decision dates and Financial Stability Report dates to February 2028 – Reserve Bank of NZ

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

19 February 2026 – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand will increase the number of scheduled monetary policy decisions from 7 to 8 per year, starting in 2027.

The Monetary Policy Committee has discussed the upcoming increase in the frequency of Consumers Price Index (CPI) data releases. From next year, CPI data is set to be published on a monthly basis, rather than quarterly. Due to this, the Committee believes it is appropriate to move to 8 scheduled decisions.

To accommodate an 8 decision schedule, the previously announced February 2027 decision date has been moved a week earlier.

While we have set dates out to February 2028, the Monetary Policy Committee can make unscheduled decisions at any time, should financial or economic conditions warrant it, and have done so in the past.

Our Financial Stability Reports will continue to be released twice a year, in May and November.

Monetary policy and OCR dates

DateAnnouncement
2026
8 April Monetary Policy Review and OCR
27 May Monetary Policy Statement and OCR
8 July Monetary Policy Review and OCR
2 September Monetary Policy Statement and OCR
28 October Monetary Policy Review and OCR
9 December Monetary Policy Statement and OCR
2027
10 FebruaryMonetary Policy Review and OCR
17 MarchMonetary Policy Statement and OCR
5 May Monetary Policy Review and OCR
16 JuneMonetary Policy Statement and OCR
4 AugustMonetary Policy Review and OCR
15 SeptemberMonetary Policy Statement and OCR
27 October Monetary Policy Review and OCR
8 DecemberMonetary Policy Statement and OCR
2028
9 FebruaryMonetary Policy Review and OCR
 

Financial Stability Report announcement dates

DateAnnouncement
 2027
12 MayFSR
10 November      FSR

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Business price indexes: December 2025 quarter – Stats NZ information release