Auckland-based engineering firm Beca is trialling a new artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot called ‘Tala’, which will allow Samoan language speakers to give voice to their opinions in public consultations.

Despite Government extensions to work visas for Regional Seasonal Employment workers until September, employers and workers are calling for New Zealand and the Pacific Island governments to work together to open borders for repatriation with concerns of limited jobs in the next few months. Moana Makapelu Lee with this story.

1 News Pacific Correspondent Barbara Dreaver picked up two gongs at the Voyager Media Awards recently for her work on the tragic Samoan measles outbreak. She talks about covering the epidemic and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

This week workers from Temperzone manufacturing plant in Māngere have been picketing outside of their workplace on Tidal Rd. 275 Times visited the protest on Wednesday and talked to employees about their concerns.

Auckland University of Technology (AUT) have released the second episode in their #AUTuni 2020 Pacific Language Video series. The video focuses on the importance of immunisation for our Pacific communities in Gagana Samoa, tying in with Samoan Language Week. Supported by research from the Pacific Islands Families Study and in partnership with Pacific Media Network, […]

Following a delay in delivery of essential personal protective equipment, owners of Pacific Health Plus (PHP) in Cannons Creek, Eastern Porirua, decided to take matters into their own hands. “During lockdown we realised that we did not have sufficient protective gear for our staff based at our primary healthcare centre, Pacific Health Plus in Porirua,” […]

A survey on the impact of COVID-19 on New Zealanders’ financial wellbeing undertaken during Level 4 showed Māori, Pacific peoples and young people were the worst affected. The survey of 3000 New Zealanders across the last two weeks in April was conducted by the Commission for Financial Capability (CFFC) as part of an international study […]

Air Niugini’s most senior Boeing Captain and the longest serving pilot Captain Paun Nonggorr and his son, Captain Jason Nonggorr, have made history by becoming the first Papua New Guinean father and son Captains flying for the national flag carrier. Although they are not on the same aircraft type, their achievement as Papua New Guinean […]

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced two new high commissioners to the Pacific – Helen Tunnah as High Commissioner to Niue and Richard Griffith as High Commissioner to Nauru, based in Wellington. Ms Tunnah, who currently works in MFAT’s COVID-19 Response Programme, has had previous postings to Vanuatu and Brazil. HE Kirk […]