New Zealand

New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters said he had spoken to the leaders of the National Party and the Labour Party today and, amongst other matters, advised them of that.

What you need to know

It's been 26 days since the election.

NZ is into the 10th day of negotiations.

On Tuesday night Mr Peters secretly met one-on-one with both Bill English and Jacinda Ardern.

The final round of negotiations wrapped up last night, ending five days of back-to-back meetings with National and Labour.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said he would announce which party his will form a government with by the end of next week.

But there is still no indication exactly when that will be. Mr Peters is still working on bringing together his board, which has to sign off any decision, meaning an announcement will be at the weekend at the earliest.

Mr Peters said he was very pleased to have all the policy discussion finished.

Accompanied by their parents and staff, the group was hosted by his High Highness and Masiofo at their residence at Falelatai last week.

The group is an all-encompassing Samoan Language, Cultural and Dance group and here to familiarize the students with the Samoan culture.

It is also provides the opportunity for the students to experience the real faa-Samoa first hand.
Southern Cross Campus’s class will be staging performances in both Upolu and Savaii.

Photo supplied by Govt of Samoa Facebook

Titled 'Mua i Malae' the book has been published this month by Little Island Press, with a launch held at the University of Auckland Fale Pasifika.

One of the organisers is Olivia Taouma who says as well as celebrate, they really wanted to produce a historical text that captured some key stories from through the decades.

Ms Taouma said in Auckland in the 1980s many Samoan children whose first language was not English struggled in mainstream classes.

The thunderstorms were working their way up the coast, beginning in Fiordland at 1am.

Newshub reports at one point lightning bolts were flashing 45 times per minute.

The West Coast is also being battered with heavy rainfall, with up to 160mm over a 36-hour period in Westland and 120mm in the Canterbury and Otago headwaters, according to MetService.

MetService has issued a severe wind warning for Otago and Canterbury as well as Wellington and the Wairarapa.

It said storms would continue to barrage the entire West Coast for the rest of the day.

New Zealand will sign the Treaty on the first day it is open for signature, September 20.

“Our signing at this first opportunity is consistent with New Zealand’s long-standing commitment to international nuclear disarmament efforts”, Brownlee said.

“While no state currently in possession of nuclear weapons will be signing along with us, this Treaty nevertheless represents an important step towards a nuclear-free world.

Auckland University social researcher Natalie Thorborn has released the disturbing findings into the plight of underage sex workers saying it is much more common than people think.

NZ Herald reports girls just 12 years old were often groomed by boyfriends who eventually forced them into a situation where they had no option but to sell their bodies.

In some instances even parents were selling their own children for sex.

A 9-year-old girl was tied to her bed by her mother and forced to have sex with men.

New Zealand AG told Retzlaff that links and an ongoing willingness to assist Samoa is not only important but something he feels personally attached to.

 "Whatever can be done to assist Samoa, we are committed,” said New Zealand AG. 

He has links with senior counsel at the local bar in Apia and has in the past appeared in Court in Apia. 

Samoa AG was then referred to meetings with the Parliamentary Counsels drafting team of New Zealand as well as the Law Commission of New Zealand. 

Gerry Brownlee made this comment after attending the Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit in Apia, where he was standing in for New Zealand's prime minister Bill English.

He told RNZ that the Pacific Islands' leadership is well focused on interacting with other countries to improve living standards for their own people.

The Commission had earlier said it did not feel comfortable going onto the gang's premises.

A gang advocate, Denis O'Reilly, said getting gang members to vote was a way of helping them become more law abiding.

RNZI reports O’Reilly praised the Commission for getting Black Power members registered at a meeting on a marae in Hawera recently.

"It's a symbol by the Crown that says, 'We care. Yes we will thrash you if you break the law, but we also want to engage with you'.

"So it's as symbolic as anything," Mr O'Reilly said.