Samoan

Deborah Sanerivi says she started writing the books with her husband Oka to help her own family, as well as others.

“I wrote the books simply so I could learn. I couldn’t find resources that were structured in a way that helped me to say the sentences that I wanted to say to my new little girl.

“As she got older and we started to incorporate more sentences and more of the language into her life, we realised there are more families like ours that don’t necessarily have the language base to help them speak our language or their language to their children.”

She is of Samoan descent, and has spoken out against the continuing negative media portrayal of her community, who were often on the front line as essential workers. She spoke to Kim Hill on Saturday Morning.

In the first leaders debate on TVNZ Aigagalefili asked the leaders of the Labour and National parties, Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins, what the next government would do to support low decile students forced to drop out of school to support their families through Covid-19 - a topic she's been vocal about this year.

Former New Zealand Poet Laureate Selina Tusitala Marsh is a finalist for the Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction for her graphic memoir Mophead.

For Marsh, being shortlisted for an award is something she would never have imagined.

“I didn’t even think that Mophead would be nominated because I’m a first-time children’s author and as a poet, I’ve always just told my story because it’s other people’s stories.”

Marsh says the title of the book refers to a name she was called in school by one of her frenemies.

Christina Schuster, 42, was found guilty yesterday of possession of marijuana for the purpose of sale.

Her husband, who pleaded guilty to the same charges, is already serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence.

The charges relate to a police raid last December on the couple's home in Nu'u-fou, where over 1.7kg of marijuana were seized.

Police evidence heard during the trial revealed the couple was involved with another suspect implicated in a separate police raid this month in the village of Faleatiu, where more than 10,000 marijuana plants were seized.

Set up to deliver on SkyCity’s hotel growth strategy and manage on-going projects including the Horizon Hotel in Auckland and the Adelaide Casino

Hotel, the group will be lead by Brad Burnett as Group General Manager of Hotels, with the support of Colin McClean, General Manager of New Zealand Hotel Operations.

“The new centralised SkyCity Hotels Group function will allow us to not only synergise operations across our sites, but also encourage a group focus to ensure

Fepulea'i Margie Apa's new role at the Counties Manukau DHB started last week and she said she is keen to make a difference for all patients, including those of Pacific islands heritage.

"Smoking and alcohol is quite important for Pacific and we are also quite thoughtful about the kinds of risk factors that leads to diabetes heart disease and obesity. And healthy living and making healthy lifestyle choices in ways that are relevant for Pacific people," Fepulea'i Margie Apa said.

The 45-year-old Samoan won the by-election over the weekend, after the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki seat was vacated by the now MP Denise Lee.

Preliminary results show Bartley on 7211, beating the only other candidate Josh Beddell on 5637 votes.

Bartley will be sworn in as councillor for Maungakiekie-Tāmaki on Thursday and says she has a few priorities in sight.

Constable Heber Gasu, who is of Samoan descent, was one of the stars of a humorous police recruitment video released in November.

Gasu sports a police-issue turban as he runs through a container yard – apparently on the hunt for a suspect.

The humorous clip has been viewed more than six million times and resulted in nearly 400 people applying to become police officers.

Rajinder Singh, the secretary general of the Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand, said he was concerned to see the incorrectly-tied turban.

A police spokesperson said the arrests were for disorderly behaviour.

Police said the problems happened in the Otahuhu township between 10pm and 2am.

They said there were some major traffic issues with Tongan supporters celebrating in the streets in cars and on foot.

It was the third night in a row where there were several arrests as supporters of the two teams gathered in South Auckland.

The police were confiscating flags and flag poles and blocked off some streets.

No-one was injured.

The defendant was successful in applying for the government to pay a lawyer.

However, yesterday, the court accepted the defence lawyer's application to withdraw as counsel because of a dispute with the defendant.

The 2015 victims of the alleged sexual offences were girls under 16 years of age who are the youngest sister-in-laws of the accused.

The case will be presided by three men and a two women assessors in the presence of a Supreme Court judge.