Podcasts about Pasifika

A question of whether charter schools can achieve better results than what's already possible at state schools. New annual reports show three of the seven charter schools that opened last year failed to meet attendance or achievement targets. Some did make significant gains, with Māori-Pasifika boys' boarding school Tipene nearly doubling reading expectations. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Francesca Rudkin state schools can deliver just as well for disengaged students. He says they're more equipped to deal with specific issues, with established networks and resources. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Pacific Waves today: Hopes AUT's new research clinic will improve Pasifika health outcomes; Mixed reactions to Israel's new embassy in Fiji; Surviving conjoined twin Sawong returns home to PNG; No June fuel price relief for the Pacific. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

From South Auckland to the world stage, the Royal Family Dance Crew says its success is proof that Maori and Pasifika creatives can have big dreams. Founded by Parris Goebel, they have choreographed and performed alongside global superstars like Rihanna, Justin Beiber, Lady Gaga and most recently, Karol G, who was a headliner at Coachella. They are now touring Australia and will be performing at Melbourne's Rising Festival. Reporter Tiana Haxton has more.

In Pacific Waves today: Auckland FC goal scorer embraces Samoan roots; Budget 2026: Underwhelming on Pasifika policy; Welcome boost for NZ aid to the Pacific. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Pacific Waves today: Samoa language week starts in churches across Aotearoa; 12 Pasifika leaders named in NZ Kings Birthday Honours; Samoa PM says youths are being 'used' by drug cartels; Moana pip Brumbies to end 2026 season on a high. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Poet, performer and award-winning author, Tusiata Avia has forged her own path as a Pasifika voice on themes like racism and identity delivered with humour, honesty and courage. The 2026 International Institute of Modern Letters Writer in Residence for the Academy of New Zealand Literature, her latest work is called Giving Birth to My Father. A collection of poems, it is an exploration and expression of grief and acceptance. She speaks to Susie about loss, life - and getting into trouble.

On Tagata o te Moana this week: The UN backs landmark ICJ climate ruling. Is New Zealand contributing to the militarisation of the Pacific? We look at a new rule to boost women candidates in PNG politics. And later on, Pasifika poetry. All that and more stories from the week at RNZ Pacific.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Kenneth Chapman on creating a fantasy world that reflected  himself. with his children's book  Lonasei and the Mystery of Origin Grove. .

Weddings and funerals are two of the biggest life events for most of us, but it all gets taken up a notch in Pacific cultures. A new TVNZ show '400 Weddings & and a Funeral' explores the traditions, expectations and emotions behind the celebrations. It premieres at 9:35 Saturday night on TVNZ 1 and will be on TVNZ+. Hosts Bella Kalolo- Suraj & Haanz Fa'avae-Jackson join Jesse to let you know what to expect! [picture id="4JR07Q5_400WAF_Bella_and_Haanz_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

An Auckland University researcher says raising the superannuation age will increase inequality, especially for Maori and Pasifika. The Director of Auckland University's Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research, Professor Ngaire Kerse, who also works as a GP spoke to John Campbell.

Coming up on Tagata o te Moana: Amnesty International calls for full independent investigation into the death of a man in Fiji military custody. The CNMI remains firmly in response mode following Super Typhoon Sinlaku. And a Museum researcher says Pasifika soldiers who served in the World Wars deserved to be remembered this ANZAC weekend. All that and more stories from the week at RNZ Pacific.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Pacific Waves today: Fuel crisis deepens for Pacific nations; Bougainville MP urges PNG to make a call on independence push; Study finds rates of dementia 50 percent higher for Māori and Pasifika. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Another Super Rugby club is going under. In a blow to Pasifika rugby, Moana Pasifika has announced that it will disband at the conclusion of the Super Rugby season. The league's owners, Pasifika Medical Group, has decided to withdraw its financial support. To find out just how big a blow this is, and what it means for Super Rugby going forward, Brett McKay and Liam Napier joined Piney to delve into what went wrong for the club. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The demise of Moana Pasifika is not a good story. The conscious uncoupling of the club from Super Rugby Pacific doesn't come as any surprise though. Not a bad idea, but the execution was awful. The team were hog-tied from the get-go. The slow slide of the side started at inception and even though the tenuous grasp the franchise had on its position showed shadows of sustained grip on its place in the program, Moana Pasifika was only ever heading south. Unsupported, underfunded, unwanted, unable to provide players with a solid path on the route to I don't know where. A place holder franchise, without a genuine and consistent home paddock, a holding pen for athletes before they were herded into a flock shepherded by NZR, or a northern team, or for Savea, Japan. The idea was wonderful, a home for the huge numbers of Pasifika players who couldn't find contracts in other super franchises, another chance to tap into this seemingly endless resource. Except the Fijians. Another nonsense in this rudderless Pacific journey. Professional rugby contracts at the top level need to be earned, not distributed out of necessity. The Blues, the traditional home of AKL based Pasifika, saw them as a parasite. The public didn't know what they stood for. The players loved the idea, but as soon as they showed promise, they were off to greener pastures. I'm sure that being owned by PMA, the Pasifika Medical Association, wasn't helpful either. Again, good intention, but problematic as one of the key sponsor veins to tap into over the years for oval ball codes has been everything that Pasifika health doesn't need. Fast food and liquor, right? Arguably the only positive was the astonishing arrival of Ardie Savea, who brought eyeballs and bums to the games, but it was all for nothing as the gun for hire promptly upped sticks and buggered off to cash in, sorry expand his horizons, play with his global whanau, I dunno, whatever. This not a punch down on a mortally wounded group, it's just a naked precis of an experiment that had a good heart, but a terrible respiratory system. Super Rugby needs to drop the Pacific moniker and revert to type. Super Rugby works just fine, and now with 10 teams it works even better. Back to the old school when the comp was vibrant and crisp. Super 10 anyone?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jumped on the saints podcast throughout the week to talk all things Dragons over the last week, with a lot happening around the club and pressure mounting on their coach Shane Flanagan.Hosts Elijah and Julian are very passionate Dragons fans and don't hold back in this one, so strap yourselves in...LinktreeMOMENTUM NEW SHOWFollow the INSTAGRAM to stay up to date with all of the great Rugby League content!! https://www.instagram.com/biglezsleague_/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Usos from the WesWes Network cover the latest TV shows, movies, and character analyses from the TV Series they follow, including Invincible, The Boys, Maul Shadow Lord, and the movie The Bride!. Then the boys talk about **SPOILER ALERT** the latest episode of Daredevil Born Again, Season 2, Episode 4. The hosts share their insights on new seasons, character development, and plot theories, providing a detailed breakdown of episodes and character motivations.Follow the CHANNEL 135 on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/show/3HJq7eAB8LtQwiZ2wSER3f?si=3a35f37e71a14391For more WesWes Network content, go to the website here: https://www.weswesnet.com/Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/weswesmoviesandtv/ Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@weswes.movies.and.tv Join our Facebook Group Page here: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1JPtqWc2Kh/

In Pacific Waves today: HIV cases surge in Fiji; Warriors honour players and fans with Pasifika night; Handling errors let Fijian Drua down against the Blues. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Questions to Ministers Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS to the Minister of Finance: Will the update on New Zealand's four fuel alert levels tomorrow include a change in alert levels, or will it be an explainer of what the levels are? HANA-RAWHITI MAIPI-CLARKE to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What funding increases, if any, can foodbank and food rescue organisations expect to receive in Budget 2026 to support the one in three households who are struggling to put kai on the table (as reported by the Hunger Monitor) during rising fuel price pressures? CARL BATES to the Minister of Education: What announcement has she made regarding New Zealand's national qualification? Hon WILLIE JACKSON to the Minister for Maori Development: Does he stand by the Government's track record on Maori employment; if so, why? Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made about preparing the healthcare system for winter? TAMATHA PAUL to the Minister of Housing: Is he concerned about the report from Cotality that showed the average rent-to-income ratio is as high as 28 percent; if not, why not? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: How many people, if any, receiving benefits or superannuation have children in their care and are also in paid employment? RIMA NAKHLE to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about improving outcomes for rentals and landlords? RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH to the Associate Minister of Housing: Does he accept the findings of the Auditor-General's report into emergency housing; if so, will he give any direction to the Ministry of Social Development to change their practices? SIMON COURT to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of the Government's statements and actions? Hon JENNY SALESA to the Minister for Pacific Peoples: Does he stand by his statement that "this Government is committed to improving the lives of all New Zealanders, including our Pacific communities"; if so, how many more Pasifika are now unemployed compared to December 2023? DAVID MacLEOD to the Minister for Mental Health: What recent progress has been made against the Government's mental health targets?

In Pacific Waves today: New Zealand pledges $20 million to flood resilience in Tuvalu; Pasifika communities hunker down in Northland; More legends inducted to the Pasifika Rugby Hall of Fame. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Each Thursday, K'Lee & Charlie perform a jam for Throwback Thursday. This week was to celebrate the Pasifika night going down at the One NZ Warriors v West Tigers tomorrow. Medley includes, Hey Girl (Fiji), Dark Moon (Daniel Rae Costello) & Haere Mai See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Pacific Waves today: Solomons political crisis impacting parliament functions; Almost half of Pasifika families in NZ rely on food support; NZ offering gaming and tech scholarships for Pasifika youth; Pacific govts advise against panic buying as fuel crisis deepens. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

ON TODAYS SHOW: It was a good day at school when... those moments you tried to pull a sickie and all the exciting things would happen. Another Throwback Thursday to celebrate the One NZ Warriors Pasifika night tomorrow. Plus, the team Pasifika-fy your names after chatting to One NZ Warriors player, Tanner Stowers-Smith. For more, follow our socials: Instagram Facebook TikTokSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Michael talks with Dr James Kierstead about the pressures on academics to align with universities' institutional priorities, including expectations to incorporate Māori and Pasifika perspectives in all teaching programmes. The discussion raises questions about academic freedom, institutional neutrality, and accountability, illustrated by the circumstances surrounding Dr Kierstead's redundancy from Victoria University of Wellington.

ON TODAYS SHOW: Charlie has a surprise for the team. Azura got herself a Pasifika name. Plus, those parenthood truths that we don't normally talk about. For more, follow our socials: Instagram Facebook TikTokSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Polyfest, the world's largest secondary school Pasifika cultural festival is taking place this week at Auckland's Manukau Sports Bowl. 

The cultural diversity of New Zealand students is being celebrated this week at Polyfest, the world's largest Pasifika secondary school cultural festival. The event officially launched on Wednesday with an intimate flag raising ceremony. Tiana Haxton was there.

Last week ended with a bizarre situation where Labour effectively came out against a pay rise for teachers. They did this because that's what the unions wanted. And what the unions want, the unions usually get. Union strategy 101 is getting everyone who's not a member to become one. The tactic is peer pressure. If you can deprive non‑union members of a pay rise while dragging out pay negotiations, that's leverage. Labour last week got rid of Willow‑Jean Prime, who scored an F in the portfolio. Ginny Anderson has been lumped with it at a time when National is seen, across a bunch of polls this term, to be either better or at least as good as Labour on education. Which is saying something. Like health, it's usually the purview of the left. But something's shifted, and Ginny probably needs to take a good, hard look at which battles she blindly follows her comrades into. Charter schools are another example. I was reading at the weekend about the breadth of subjects and students these schools cater to: seven Māori schools, a Pasifika girls' school (which we've featured on the show), autism‑focused schools, French, sport, Cambridge. Last week the principals' union said all those schools — there are 19 applicants so far — should be closed.The money, they said, should be put back into the mainstream system. They don't believe schools are failing certain cohorts of young people, which is the very reason charter schools exist. To an average parent, an average person, but most importantly, an average voter, this looks political, not practical.I think most Kiwis accept that mainstream schooling doesn't work for everyone. Most also accept that teaching needs to be better paid, regardless of union affiliation. To rail against these things just because your union mates demand you do so is hardly going to win back public support in an area where ground has clearly been lost.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Papali'i Lisa Taouma is an award-winning documentary maker, writer, director and producer, recognised for bringing the essence of Pasifika communities to the screen. She talks to Mihingarangi about her company, Tikilounge Productions, and navigating change.

Questions to Ministers Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: How many more people are receiving the jobseeker support benefit today compared to when the Government took office in 2023? RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Is she concerned about Treasury's advice that the Iran war energy price shock could increase inflation; if so, what impact, if any, does she expect this will have on the growing number of unemployed people needing welfare support? TAKUTA FERRIS to the Minister of Statistics: Does he agree with analysis from Te Kahui Raraunga that replacing the five-yearly census with administrative data, small-sample surveys, and targeted data collection "will build in a bias that favours numerically dominant groups, and will further invisibilise some Maori individuals, whanau, and communities"? Hon WILLIE JACKSON to the Minister for Maori Development: Does he stand by the Government's track record for Maori; if so, why? TOM RUTHERFORD to the Minister of Justice: What progress has the Government made towards fixing the basics in law and order? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made about supporting first-year GP trainees? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister for Economic Growth: Do 32,000 fewer people in work compared to two years ago reflect a growing economy; if so, why? CATHERINE WEDD to the Minister for Trade and Investment: What work is the Government doing to underpin the growth of New Zealand's exports? Hon JENNY SALESA to the Minister for Pacific Peoples: Is he confident that the lives of Pasifika people in New Zealand have improved under this Government; if not, why not? Dr PARMJEET PARMAR to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of the Government's statements and actions? Dr CARLOS CHEUNG to the Associate Minister of Transport: What recent announcement has he made about coastal shipping?

For this Out Takes, we welcomed the return of the Melbourne Women in Film Festival. Running from March 19–23 across ACMI and Fed Square, this year's program continues to bring together bold works from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Pasifika. Over four days, audiences can look forward to premiere screenings, restorations, creator conversations and hands-on workshops—an immersive celebration of diverse perspectives and the homegrown visionaries shaping the screen industry's future. The Melbourne Women in Film Festival recently unveiled its landmark tenth-year program, marking a decade of championing women and gender-diverse filmmakers from Australia and beyond. We caught up with Festival Director Dr Sian Mitchell to discuss this year's program and much more. We also reviewed ‘The Moment’, a new film that turns the spotlight on Charli XCX as we go behind the scenes for a hilarious look at the life of a popstar as she navigates the complexities of fame and industry pressure while preparing for her arena tour debut. Finally, we took a look at ‘A Friend of Dorothy’, a new short film that is delightfully queer and in the running to win an Oscar too. The post Melbourne Women in Film Festival 2026, The Moment and A Friend of Dorothy appeared first on Out Takes.

Coming up on Tagata o te Moana: Pacific fuel prices expected to spike due to Iran conflict. Samoan muso Fonoti Pati Umaga shares his life story of success, tragedy and advocacy. And Dave Rennie becomes the first All Blacks coach with Pasifika heritage. All that and more stories from the week at RNZ Pacific Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A Pasifika leader who lived through the Dawn Raids is accusing the government of scaremongering about overstayer numbers. Political reporter Anneke Smith reports.

David Rennie has been named the new All Blacks coach, beating out Jamie Joseph for what many call the most pressured job in world rugby. The former Chiefs and Wallabies coach will lead the national team through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia Rennie also becomes the first All Blacks coach with Pasifika heritage. For reaction veteran sports journalist and broadcaster Phil Gifford chats to Jesse.

The man appointed today as the coach to take the All Blacks to next year's Rugby World Cup is Dave Rennie. And he's got his work cut out for him. He can't start fulltime with the All Blacks until June - he has to finish his contract in Japan first. That wraps up in May, which means there's a very tight turnaround before the first test against the French in early July. Then he's got the Italians, then the Irish, and then the South Africans. Baptism of fire, much? And in just over 18 months, he'll be heading into the Rugby World Cup. Lifting that trophy is going to be a challenge but it's not impossible. Rassie Erasmus famously took over in 2018 and won the Rugby World Cup with the Springboks the next year. And you could argue the Springboks back then were more of a hot mess than the All Blacks are now, ahead of Rennie taking over. It's also worth remembering that coaching at international level isn't new ground for Rennie. He was the Wallabies' coach before he was dumped for the disaster that was Eddie Jones. But if you look at his record with that squad, it's not exactly inspiring. He had a 38 percent win rate, which makes Razor's 74 percent win rate look positively outstanding. But if you're being generous, you'd have to say Rennie had the odds stacked against him with the Wallabies -COVID disruptions, too many tests against the All Blacks, injuries, player unavailability. He still managed to beat South Africa twice, which is no small feat. And neither of his successors - Eddie Jones nor Joe Schmidt - have done much better. Rennie's appointment also brings a couple of firsts. The headline one is that he's the first All Blacks coach of Pasifika descent. But the first I'm enjoying today is this: while it's not unusual for ex-All Blacks coaches to take over the Wallabies, this is the first time the All Blacks have been taken over by a former Wallabies coach. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When our next guest Noeleen Tuala had her first grandchild, she found it really hard to find any baby clothing or products that reflected her Pasifika culture and heritage. So she took action and Pele was born. Fast forward three years and Pele is now available in mainstream stores. Self-described Polyreneur, Noeleen Tuala chats to Jesse.

Coming up first on Tagata o te Moana: One in five Pasifika children in NZ living in poverty. Call for probe into violent confrontation in PNG jail. And a Fiji academic says coalition parties in the country's government could become election rivals. All that and more stories from the week at RNZ Pacific. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Pacific Waves today: One in five Pasifika children in NZ living in poverty; Pasifika youth still falling through the gaps in mental health; Fiji coalition parties could become election rivals - academic; Moana put fixture loss aside to focus on Force. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Questions to Ministers Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Minister for Pacific Peoples: Does he agree with Christopher Luxon's statement about Pasifika, "We're gonna make sure we deliver for them"; if so, why? Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her statement, "As Finance Minister, I take responsibility for managing our Government's books ... I am the Ministerial colleague who takes pride in scrutinising the dollars, in reading through the business cases, and having the courage to say 'no' when proposals don't stack up"? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he still believe that supporting locally trained nurses is key to growing the health system's nursing workforce; if not, why not? RYAN HAMILTON to the Minister of Finance: What reports has she seen on the economy? Hon KIERAN McANULTY to the Minister of Housing: Does he stand by all his statements and actions? TODD STEPHENSON to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of the Government's statements and actions? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made about enabling 12-month prescriptions for patients? LEMAUGA LYDIA SOSENE to the Minister of Internal Affairs: Is she confident that Fire and Emergency New Zealand is doing everything it can to ensure firefighters are receiving a fair deal; if so, why? RIMA NAKHLE to the Minister of Education: What announcement has she made regarding school property? SHANAN HALBERT to the Minister for Universities: Does he think that current student loan levels are sufficient to allow students to focus on their studies; if so, why? MILES ANDERSON to the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality: What recent progress has she seen on tourism and major events in New Zealand? HANA-RAWHITI MAIPI-CLARKE to the Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery: Does he agree with the Prime Minister that "Iwi and marae are very good at emergency management. They don't just stand up for iwi, they stand up for the entire community"?

In Pacific Waves today: Cook Islands records first dengue death; Marshallese deportees face tough road ahead; Wellington's annual Pasifika festival draws large crowds; Sevens, Football and more Pacific sport with Iliesa Tora. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In Pacific Waves today: Indigenous Pacific leaders unite at Waitangi; Kanaka Maoli stand in solidarity with Māori at Waitangi; NZ politicians react to Pasifika unemployment stats; Parts of PNG experiencing outbreaks of the flu. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

As the school year gets underway, recently released data shows while the number of students regularly turning up to school is improving it is still a long way from the government's goal of 80 percent of students present more than 90 percent of the time. Provisional data for term 4 of last year shows 57.3 percent of students were regularly in class, for Māori it was 43 percent, and just over 39 percent for Pasifika. President of the New Zealand Pasifika Principals Association Bert Iosia spoke to Lisa Owen. 

In Pacific Waves today: Samoan playwright found dead in jail; US President delivers on WHO withdrawal promise; Pasifika gym franchise turns fitness into a family affair; New Zealand government scraps Tokelau airport project. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In the end, it was just over an hour. Just over an hour between being asleep on the floor of Auckland hospital, to standing, bewildered under the delivery suite lights, helping to dress my newborn son. Mava had been induced on Sunday – the scans had suggested that all was ok but that our baby was small for his age. We spent an oddly serene day waiting for the induction medication to kick in. They give you a dose every two hours until you go into labour but sometimes it takes a few hours to work and sometimes it takes days. It was actually lovely, in a way. Mava and I both read for hours in-between the doses. We went for coffee and a stroll in the domain, Mava constantly assessing baby's every shift and every hint of a contraction. My goodness, though, when it happened... it happened. Zero to one hundred. A blur. I won't labour you with all of the details but it's become clear to me that there's a reason every parent has a birth story. It was surreal. It just felt like a week's worth of crazy experiences happened in the space of fifteen minutes. It was beautiful, wild, traumatic, thrilling... it was animal. All these things. Mava was incredible. I felt so proud of her, and yet so helpless at the same time. And weirdly through it all, I felt calm. I'm not bragging. I'm not saying calmness was a good response – honestly I was probably just a bit stunned – and it turned out our son was too when he came out. They hurried him off and chucked him on the oxygen and he regained his colour. I took my cues from our amazing midwife and the other hospital staff. She wasn't freaking out too much and so I didn't either. The scans were right – our son was small for his gestational age. But he what lacked in size he made up for in his capacity to feed. There can be no doubt he has inherited my skin tone, my hair colour, and my appetite. This morning is the longest I've been away from him in his life, but at five days old I know him well enough to know that right now he is probably feeding. Isn't it incredible how instinct works? Out of the womb, almost blind, and yet he absolutely throws himself at the boob. Head back, mouth wide, latch! Who taught him that?! A few random takeaways: 1) The placenta. Wow. That thing could feed a family of four. 2) We had three nights in hospital and a couple more in Birthcare afterwards. If our experience of the New Zealand healthcare system this week is anything to go by, it is being completely held together by migrant workers: Indians, Filipinos, Europeans, South Americans, Pasifika... they were fantastic. For all the justified concern over the health care system as a whole, we had a really positive experience and felt so grateful to the people working in what are often very tricky conditions. 3) Women's bodies, eh? To have the capacity to grow an entire human being, from his skinny little frog legs folded up at his belly, to his tiny little fingernails to the lightest fur on his pink little cheeks. To grow him, birth him, and then, having done it all, having done everything... to immediately switch to nourishing him day and night. What can I tell you about our son? He's got his mum's eyes. He sucks his thumb. His first music was the Koln Concert and he made sure to stay up to watch Will Young and Tom Latham score centuries against Pakistan. His name will be finalised soon enough. When he's bulked up a bit, he's got a long list of visitors waiting to meet him, too. After five nights away, yesterday I put our son in his carseat and drove him home. His older brother ran home from school and cuddled him on the couch. Through the madness and exhaustion of the week, running on caffeine, sugar, and love, we sat there together, a family. It was perfect.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Pacific Waves today: Norfolk Island to hold elections on New Years Day; Plans for Pasifika fale in Wellington underway; Young Cook Islanders take to the stage in Manukau. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The UN's Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva has expressed concern over continuing reports of racially motivated attacks on Maori, Pasifika and other ethnic and religious communities in New Zealand. Maori health leader Lady Tureiti Moxon spoke to Mihi Forbes. 

In Pacific Waves today: Four Tongan MPs touted as front runners for PM; Australia gives up bid to host COP31; Samoa opposition leader says PM is too sick to lead; Pasifika smoking rates halved in NZ but still "unacceptable". Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The National Grid is a graphic design journal based in Aotearoa. Having started publishing in 2006 with the editorship of Jonty Valentine and Luke Wood, The National Grid became recognised for its dedication to graphic design research, practices, and features from local and international practitioners and theorists, having a unique, expansive view of graphic design that embraced its social and cultural impact as a whole.  After the project came to a halt in 2012, Luke Wood, Matthew Galloway, and Katie Kerr have now revived the journal for 2025, with issue 9 set to launch on Monday. Not quite a ‘magazine' and not quite an ‘academic journal', The National Grid seeks to walk the line between professional practice and academia, and art and design, with its 9th issue taking on the current climate of design education, looking back to Pasifika publishing histories, and sketching out diagrams for possible futures.  Sofia had a kōrero with co-editor and co-founder, Luke Wood, about its beginnings and where The National Grid is now.

Foreign ministers meet to discuss an international peacekeeping force in Gaza; The Reserve Bank set to announce its decision on the cash rate; and in Rugby Union, Indigenous and Pasifika teams prepare for the Global Youth Sevens tournament

On Friday the 28th of November five of our finest chefs will join forces as part of the Chef's Health & Allergy Awareness Kai event. They'll present a six-course Pasifika-inspired, plant-based menu that's designed to raise awareness for health-conscious, allergy-friendly dining. It's all been put together by Ana Ma'ilei Savio, founder of Gia's Grab & Go catering.

The Pacific Champs kick off at Mount Smart on Sunday with an epic double header between the Samoan and Kiwi sides. Sports reporter Jonty Dine reports.