New Zealand

Andrew Alan Williams, 54, and his former partner, Laken Maree Rose, 32, have been sentenced in the High Court at Rotorua.

Williams was sentenced to 23 years and five months in prison, with a non-parole period of nine years and four months.

Rose has been given a jail sentence of 19-and-a-half years, with a non-parole period of seven years and nine months.

Williams was convicted on 56 charges and Rose 55.

They covered a raft of charges including rape, sexual violation, and making and possessing objectionable videos.

In a post-Cabinet media briefing Monday afternoon, Ardern announced Cabinet had made the decision to allow Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers from those countries to travel one way, without using MIQ.

The countries this would apply to reflected the fact all three nations had experienced very few cases of Covid-19, she said. Tonga had seen zero Covid-91 cases, Samoa just one, and Vanuatu had four - all those cases having been at the border with no community transmission.

Ardern delivered the speech as part of a three and a half hour ceremony in front of more than 1000 people at the Auckland Town Hall.

She said the raids to find, convict and deport overstayers often took place late at night or early in the morning and were said to involve harsh verbal and physical treatment.

"Today I offer, on behalf of the government, a formal and unreserved apology to Pacific communities for the discriminatory implementation of immigration laws that led to the Dawn Raids," Ardern said.

It is a historical moment for the Fijiana as they’re now in contention for a medal.

The side will meet New Zealand in the semifinal at 2pm (Fiji Time) today.

Aloesi Nakoci struck first after two minutes following some patient buildup up for a 7-nil lead.

Fiji went to a 14-nil lead when Ana Maria Naimasi sliced through the Australian defense to dot down between the sticks.

However, the Fijiana was reduced to six players when Vasiti Solikoviti was sent off for a high tackle.

The trans-Tasman travel bubble is paused for at least eight weeks as the Delta variant continues to spread.

Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran told Morning Report the airline would do everything to help New Zealanders wanting to return this week from Australia.

"Trust us," he said.

"We have seen plenty of people reach out over the weekend. We've got about 7500 people booked to return to New Zealand through to midnight this Friday."

The men's, women's and wheelchair events are scheduled to take place in England this autumn.

New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) chief Greg Peters said it was "simply too unsafe" to take part.

Rugby Football League (RFL) chairman Simon Johnson called it a "selfish, parochial and cowardly decision".

"Rugby League World Cup organisers have bent over backwards to offer every assurance to the Australians and the Kiwis," Johnson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We are very unhappy with this decision and we are not prepared to take it lying down."

The team will work with their Fijian counterparts from the Ministry of Health & Medical Services to bolster Fiji’s fight against COVID-19.

Australia and New Zealand deployed the highly trained joint multi-disciplinary team following a request from the Fijian Government.

The team’s priority over the next 28 days will be creating additional spaces to offer care to non-COVID patients and to strengthen infection control protocols.

The team are fully vaccinated and, following quarantine, will deploy to Suva to support the Fiji Ministry of Health.

Scolastica Samoa Faaluaseu Filipo (Samalaeulu, Vailele), 17, is the head girl of Marcellin College.

She lives with her parents and three siblings, and two extended family members stay in the granny flat.

But they are on the move.

Although her two older sisters attended a prestigious private girls school elsewhere in Tāmāki Makaurau, she insisted on enrolling into Marcellin so her parents would be less out of pocket.

Between 1974 and 1976, a series of rigorous immigration enforcement policies were carried out that resulted in targeted raids on the homes of Pacific families.

The raids to find, convict and deport overstayers often took place very early in the morning or late at night and were routinely severe with demeaning, verbal and physical treatment.

“The Dawn Raids were a defining moment in New Zealand’s history and the emotional harm caused by them remains etched in the living memory of those who were directly impacted,” Jacinda Ardern said.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health said two people with COVID-19 were being treated at Middlemore Hospital - both were transferred from the Auckland quarantine facility.

One was transferred yesterday afternoon and the other one overnight on Tuesday and was reported the following day.

"Both are in a stable condition and were taken to hospital safely using strict infection prevention and control measures which are in place for all hospital transfers from managed isolation and quarantine facilities," the ministry said.