New Zealand

The Samoa Tuna Processors plant in Pago Pago partially shut down last month, leaving nearly 1,000 staff - the bulk of whom are from neighbouring Samoa - out of work.

RNZ reports Samoa's prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said New Zealand's government recently removed the cap on Pacific Island workers under the scheme, and farmers are calling for more workers.

Tuilaepa also said new factory and hotel developments in Samoa had vacancies.

Led by Andy Leleisi'uao, around 25 people marched from the Samoan Consulate in Mangere via the Mangere Lawn Cemetery to Mangere Mountain to remember the eight killed on December 28, 1929, in what has been coined, 'Black Saturday' by historians. 

The Met Service has issued a severe weather warning from Southland to central Hawke's Bay.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said waves reaching 1 to 3 metres above the tide level were possible in coastal areas of Papua New Guinea for the next several hours.

Waves of less than 0.3m above the tide level were forecast for some other areas of the Pacific, including Indonesia, Solomon Islands, Nauru and Vanuatu.

Civil Defence said there was no tsunami threat to New Zealand, including the Chatham Islands.

An advisory to stay out of the water and away from beaches was issued after the earthquake but later cancelled, based on the analysis of additional data.

In the past 12 months, which included the ICC Women's World Twenty20 in India and the ICC Women's Championship, Bates scored 472 runs in eight ODIs at an average of just over 94.

She also took eight wickets at an economy-rate of 3.75.

In the shortest format of the game, Bates was the leading run-scorer with 429 runs at an average of 42.90 and a strike-rate of over 115 runs per 100 balls.

A delighted Bates said from Perth, where she plays for the Scorchers in Australia's Big Bash T20 competition, that winning the two awards is an honour.

The All Blacks Sevens have improved to fifth in the overall standings after their third place finish in the second round in Cape Town.

The New Zealanders beat Kenya 28-7 in the quarter-finals, but lost 14-7 to South Africa in the semi-finals.

They then beat Scotland 24-19 in the play-off for third.

It’s an improved performance by the New Zealanders after they finished 8th in the opening leg in Dubai.

England beat South Africa 19-17 in the final.

Waldrom is happy with the improvement his side showed from the first round.

The 24-year-old takes on American-Mexican boxer Andy Ruiz Jr for the vacant World Boxing Organisation heavyweight title at Vector Arena in Auckland.

It is the first time a major world title fight has happened in New Zealand - Jimmy Peau fought British boxer Johnny Nelson for the WBF World Heavyweight Title in Auckland in 1993 but the WBF isn't considered a major boxing organisation.

Whichever fighter wins tonight's match will become the first man from their country to win a world heavyweight title.

The system sent an error message after deciding Richard Lee's eyes were closed, when they are clearly open.

It was not racism he suggested. "It was a robot. No hard feelings."

The DJ and aerospace engineering student had submitted the photo to an online photo checker at New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs.

"No hard feelings on my part, I've always had very small eyes and facial recognition technology is relatively new and unsophisticated," the 22-year-old told Reuters.

Mr Lee is studying in Melbourne, Australia.

This comes after the importation of avocado trees from New Zealand and Australia seven years ago was believed to be the source of the destructive black twig borer now present in the country.

Minister Kiriau Turepu said both the ministry and private individuals had brought in the plants but he said it was a problem he had only been made aware of in the past two weeks.

Mr Turepu said the problem in the Cook Islands was the lack of a post quarantine facility to ensure the plants were disease free.

But he said he expected this to change quickly.

Winning a world title may not spell the end of Joseph Parker fighting in New Zealand, according to legendary promoter Bob Arum.

The general consensus is that, should Parker defeat Andy Ruiz for the WBO heavyweight title in Auckland on Saturday, he would have to head overseas to the bigger markets of the America and the United Kingdom if he wants to unify the division.

Having signed a co-promotional agreement with the Kiwi's promoters, Duco Events, on Tuesday, the Top Rank boss now has a vested interest in Parker's future but he doesn't think New Zealand should miss out.