Pasifika

Peleti Oli, who is Samoan, won the most votes in the Flaxmere ward ousting Jacoby Poulain from her council seat.

The award-winning barber was the subject of Maori Television's The Barber series earlier this year.

The win hadn't really sunk in yet, but he couldn't wait to get to work on the big issues affecting his community, he said.

"Housing, jobs and mental illness are all big issues. Mental illness is very close to home for me. The water as well."

Figures show Pacific and Māori children and young adults have the highest rates of rheumatic fever in New Zealand.

Victoria University's Dianne Sika-Paotonu and her fellow researchers will investigate how penicillin treatment has been working across different populations.

The initial studies were carried out on US soldiers in the 1950s.

Dr Sika-Paotonu has been awarded an extra 170-thousand US dollars to look into the issue.

She said it was clear better information was needed on how the drug works

From just eight primary schools taking part six years ago, 43 primary and early childhood centres as well as seven colleges, took the stage during the 2017 Hutt Valley Polyfest.

Twelve hundred spectators packed out the Walter Nash Stadium on the final night of the Polyfest, where secondary school students showcased their talent.

Up to seven thousand also witnessed children as young as three and four perform over the week.

Polyfest organiser Luana Leuluai was overwhelmed with the turnout of both spectator and participant.

Men, especially in the older age group, and people living in the most deprived areas, were also more also vulnerable to premature death.

Influenza kills about 500 New Zealanders each year and probably the biggest single infectious disease killer, the study from the University of Otago, Wellington said.

Researchers found that in the 65-79 year age group, Māori were 3.6 times more likely to die of influenza than those of European or other ethnicity.

The free family-friendly event gives people of all backgrounds the chance to experience the colourful sights, sounds and tantalising tastes of the Pacific.

There will be villages representing different Pacific Island nations such as The Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Aotearoa, Hawaii, Kiribati, Samoa, Tahiti, Tuvalu, Tonga and Tokelau.

Each village will have a stage, featuring traditional and contemporary performances, surrounded by market stalls and a range of activities for all ages.

Joshua Iosefo, a Bachelor of Communication Studies graduate of Samoan-Niuean descent from South Auckland, told the 2015 Design and Creative Technologies graduation ceremony that to walk across the stage and receive his degree was about "more than a piece of paper".