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A group of workers claimed they paid between $10,000-$50,000 in cash to Indian agents for visas to work in NZ. Video / Ben Dickens
The ACT minister was responding to a question from Labour when she used the word. Video / Mark Mitchell
Watch a heated back and forth around the topic of pay equity. Video / Parliament TV
Greens promise $88b taxes including 33% inheritance tax for massive social safety net expansion. Video / Mark Mitchell
"I think it was, you know, a heroic effort on her part," says Kardashian's lawyer, after the reality TV star appeared in Paris court.
An ambulance was stolen and taken for a joyride in Timaru while medical staff were preparing a patient for transfer. Video / Supplied
NZ Herald Live: David Seymour speaks to media on budget 2025
David Seymour speaks with Mike Hosking about the new $140 million Getting kids in School programme. Video / NZ Herald
NZ drug markets shift online, Covid-born kids face school challenges, and Trump meets Saudi leaders on visit to Middle East.
Reporter Marii is at the World Dance Crew Championships, where hip hop duos from all around the world, including Auckland's En-Locked, are battling for medals and cash.
Released by second-tier English club Hull City, Mason Johnson has now made Napier City Rovers his home. Video / Neil Reid
Reporter Marii is at the World Dance Crew Championships, where hip hop duos from all around the world, including Auckland's En-Locked, are battling for medals and cash.
Police forensics team and detectives continue to comb Onekawa properties in the hunt for Kaea Karauria's killer. Video / Neil Reid
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Scoop
3 hours ago
- Scoop
Prison Inspection Report Released For Mount Eden Corrections Facility
The Office of the Inspectorate today (Wed 20 Aug) released its inspection report for Mount Eden Corrections Facility (MECF). MECF, in central Auckland, housed around 1,100 prisoners at the time of the inspection (October 2024), 95% of whom were on remand. It was a busy site with, on average, 600 prisoners arriving and leaving each month. Chief Inspector Janis Adair said the inspection found: 'Leadership at the site was generally stable and settled. Staff, including custodial and health staff, mostly had the skills and knowledge to do their jobs.' Many staff, however, had less than two years' experience working in a New Zealand prison, and many had English as a second language. Some of these staff struggled to understand cultural differences in New Zealand. The custodial team was also short-staffed and, partly due to this, most prisoners were subject to restrictive regimes, spending around 22 hours a day locked in their cells. MECF was providing opportunities for prisoners to engage with their families/whānau, including regular in-person visits. The inspection team found examples of positive practice, including one unit being run as an alcohol and drug recovery unit, providing a rehabilitation programme and other mental health and addiction focused sessions. The Property Office had a selection of good-quality clothes and shoes, donated by the charity Common (previously known as Koha Apparel), for people being released from prison who had nothing suitable to wear. Adair said the prison was 'a stark and austere environment with no green spaces, limited natural light and few outdoor areas. This makes it a challenging environment for both staff and prisoners.' Most prisoners and staff said they felt safe, but many prisoners did not feel safe in mainstream units. Most prisoners did not have jobs, and there were limited educational, cultural (such as tikanga courses or kapa haka) or constructive activities available. Prisoners told us they were bored, stressed and frustrated. The health team provided good levels of care, generally in a timely manner, although some prisoners waited unreasonable lengths of time to see a nurse or medical officer. We found some good practice in the management of prisoners with mental health issues, but prisoners in the Intervention and Support Unit (including some with serious mental illnesses), were effectively being denied association (that is, being able to mix with others). For some, this likely amounted to prolonged solitary confinement, as this is defined in the Mandela Rules. The report makes 31 over-arching findings. 'I expect the site to create an action plan to address the findings of this report ... I look forward to working with the site as I continue to monitor progress,' said Adair. The Inspectorate is a critical part of the independent oversight of the Corrections system and operates under the Corrections Act 2004 and the Corrections Regulations 2005. The Inspectorate, while part of Corrections, is operationally independent, which is necessary to ensure objectivity and integrity. The inspection process provides an ongoing insight into prisons and provides assurance that shortcomings are identified and addressed in a timely way, and that examples of good practice are acknowledged and shared across the prison network. Note:
Otago Daily Times
7 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Dance off: Luxon joined on stage by opposition leader
By Gaurav Sharma of RNZ New Zealand's Indian community was recovering on Monday after three days of frenetic festivities celebrating India Independence Day. In addition to flag-hoisting ceremonies nationwide, urban centres such as Hamilton, Wellington, Dunedin and Palmerston North hosted cultural nights showcasing India's diversity and millennia-old heritage. Auckland - home to the largest Indian diaspora - hosted multiple events from Friday through Sunday. Highlights included Māori chefs taking on Indian chefs in a Masterchef competition, Māori and Indian fashion designers showcasing their creations and Indian diaspora organisations in Auckland coming together at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre in Eden Terrace to celebrate the South Asian nation's diversity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was joined on stage by opposition leader Chris Hipkins during celebrations in Auckland at the Due Drop Events Centre on 16 August, stealing the limelight with some startling moves to a popular Indian dance number. On 17 August, organisations representing more than 15 Indian states celebrated the country's Independence Day by performing their respective regional folk and classical dances at Auckland's Mount Eden. Two days earlier, on 15 August - the date India attained independence from two centuries of British rule in 1947 - the Indian High Commission in Wellington and India's Consulate General in Auckland hosted a joint reception in the country's largest city. Nikhil Ravishankar, the incoming Indian-origin chief executive of Air New Zealand who has been named to take over the reins of one of the most respected domestic corporate brands in October, attended the reception. Ethnic Communities Minister Mark Mitchell hailed Ravishankar's appointment, highlighting the positive contributions from the Indian community in New Zealand over many decades. Speaker after speakers at events over the weekend echoed the sentiment shared by the minister. Luxon, Hipkins, Indian High Commissioner Neeta Bhushan, Consul General Madan Mohan Sethi, ACT MP Parmjeet Parmar, Labour MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan, and community leaders such as Veer Khar and Bhav Dhillon all pointed to the importance of friendship. Not only has the Indian population surpassed the Chinese community to become the third largest in New Zealand, it has become increasingly prosperous - earning more than the national average. A total of 292,092 people in the country identified as having Indian heritage in the 2023 Census, an increase of 22 percent since 2018. The community now sits behind New Zealand Europeans and Māori in terms of population numbers. Just six Indians were registered in New Zealand in 1881. In celebration of the resilience and enterprising nature of early pioneers, 2024 became something of a watershed year in terms of Indian history in New Zealand. Last year, Kiwi Indians celebrated a significant rise in the community's median personal income - the highest among all ethnicities. Data released in October 2024 showed the median income of Indian adults in New Zealand was $51,600. By comparison, the median income for the country's overall population was $41,500. What's more, the Indian community contributed an estimated $10 billion to the country's economy in 2019, according to a 2020 report prepared by Sense Partners for the Waitakere Indian Association. Economists generally believed the figure - roughly 3.3 percent of total GDP at the time - had certainly increased over the past six years. With Luxon visiting the South Asian nation in March, the government has renewed interest in signing a free trade agreement with the world's most populous country and the fourth largest economy. Cultural celebrations A wide range of diverse cultural performances were held to celebrate India Independence Day in the spirit of unity. In Palmerston North, community groups representing various Indian states came together to celebrate the day at an event titled "United in Diversity". In the deep south, the Dunedin Indian Association organised a "grand patriotic event" at University of Otago's union hall that featured Carnatic (South Indian classical) music. Further north, Hamilton hosted Indian pop singer Shibani Kashyap, with the Waikato Indian Association and Indian Cultural Society collaborating to make the event a reality. Meanwhile, Auckland witnessed Māori and Indian collaborations as Whiria Collective and India's CD Foundation curated a cross-cultural fashion show and Masterchef competition as part of the celebrations. Chefs Sam Linstrom, Hera Te Kurapa and Ihirei Walker from the Whiria Collective faced off against chefs Satyanarayana Pandari, Anuj Mathur, Suprabhat Banerjee and Prem Ram from India, using a mixture of Indian spices and New Zealand ingredients to cook special salmon dishes for the judges. Anand Erickson, Auckland University of Technology lecturer and a judge for the day, expressed excitement at such culinary innovations. "This - fusion food and molecular gastronomy - is quite contemporary and trending," Erickson said. "I am looking forward to more culinary collaborations between our two cultures in future." Among cultural performances, the highest accolades were reserved for the award-winning dance group from the Indian state of Telangana, which performed Perini Natyam, Oggu Katha and Dappu - three ancient dance forms from the region - at various events over the weekend. "Our dance centres around narrating stories related to the Hindu God Shiva, who is very popular in Telangana," said Ravi Kumar, a dancer from India. Not wanting to be outshone, the Indian diaspora in Auckland showcased local creative talent in abundance, with Sonali Banerjee of the Probasee Bengali Association of New Zealand stressing the need for such celebrations to pass on Indian heritage and culture to younger generations. Mary Shaji, who performed a classical Indian dance titled Mohiniyattam that is popular in the Indian state of Kerala, agreed. "Marking our festivals, including Independence Day, is a way for all of us here in New Zealand to remain connected to our Indian roots and values," Shaji said.
Scoop
8 hours ago
- Scoop
New Data Emphasises Focus On Teaching Basics
Minister of Education New literacy and numeracy achievement data reinforces why the Government must continue to have a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. 'The latest Curriculum Insights & Progress Study (CIPS) data was collected in Term 4 2024 and provides a snapshot of achievement prior to the introduction of our education reform programme this year. The data reconfirms why it was mission critical to have a laser focus on reading, writing and maths in classrooms this year.' The results show the Government has stemmed the decline of maths achievement starting with the introduction of an hour a day of reading, writing and maths in 2024. The results also show for the first time, the national level of writing achievement against the new curriculum. 23 per cent of Year 8 students are at the curriculum benchmark for mathematics, up from 22 per cent in 2023. 24 per cent of Year 8 students are at curriculum for writing. 'We are highly ambitious for Kiwi kids. We want them to have the strong foundations they need to do the best they can at school and beyond. Parents can have confidence this Government has and will take decisive and deliberate actions to make this happen by prioritising student achievement,' Ms Stanford says. 'Our Government's major education reforms are now well underway. After learning last year that just 22 per cent of Year 8s were at curriculum in maths in 2023, we swiftly launched our Make It Count maths action plan to transform maths education. 'We delivered quickly on our promise to mandate structured literacy in all primary schools to respond to the decades of decline in reading. 'We've introduced a world-leading Maths and English curriculum, equipped teachers and students with high-quality resources, surged in targeted interventions for students who need extra help and made seismic investments into learning support. 'Early signs show our reforms are making a difference. As they bed in, we expect students are more likely to reach their full potential.' Notes: The Curriculum Insights and Progress Study is the Government's lead indicator for tracking progress toward its target of 80% of Year 8 students achieving at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and maths by 2030. Mathematics achievement level for Years 3, 6, and 8 (2023 and 2024) Writing achievement level for Years 3, 6, and 8 (2024)
