South Auckland

The occupants of a home in South Auckland made the grisly discovery after unpacking the purchased items at their residence.

Police authorities have launched a homicide investigation and are trying to identify the remains.

The family is believed not to have been involved in the incident.

It is understood that the family had gone to the storage unit and purchased a trailer-load of goods - which included the suitcases - from a local storage company last Thursday.

The coffin of Mōsese Pasikala was carried by his family Thursday in what had been described as his last visit to his home.

Kaniva News reports more than two dozen people gathered outside a residence to greet the delivery of the coffin.

A prayer service held in front of his coffin was also livestreamed.

Reports said the deceased’s wife was still in hospital.

Police said on Sunday a person has died and another was critically injured after a car crashed into a bus stop in South Auckland.

Eleven Pacific designers will display their work in a show that celebrates culture and diversity on St George Street in Papatoetoe.

The show's founder and director Nora Swann says the use of a road as a runway is unprecedented.

"This year our creative director is Sammy Salsa and he's confirmed that he hasn't seen anyone have a fashion show on the street so heaps of red tape around it but together with council and Auckland Transport, they've made that process so much easier."

The storm lifted roofs, toppled trees, shattered windows, downed powerlines and sent trampolines flying in the suburb of Papatoetoe at around 8:30am.

RNZ reports a worker was killed when the tornado struck a freight container hub in Wiri Station Road.

The deceased is a former Fijian who moved to New Zealand in 2014.

Two other workers who were taken to Middlemore Hospital - one is in a moderate condition and the other has minor injuries.

Several containers were toppled by the strong wind.

The 22-year-old and 28-year-old also face a charge each of causing grievous bodily harm to a person and discharging a firearm at three people in Favona on December 4, 2019.

The NZ Herald reports all three appeared separately before the court.

They have been remanded in custody until their next appearance at the High Court in Auckland on May 5, where they are expected to enter pleas.

A large group of people were in the public gallery for the trio's appearance.

The three accused each acknowledged the group before being remanded into police custody.

Yesterday, a student considered a casual plus contact was confirmed to have the coronavirus and last night, two siblings, a teenager and an infant, also tested positive.

The teenager recently finished school and had been working at Kmart Botany. They were at work on Friday 19 February and Saturday 20 February between 4pm and 10pm. People who visited the store during those times are being asked to isolate and call Healthline.

Three cases of coronavirus were confirmed over the weekend, plunging Auckland into Level 3 lockdown and the rest of New Zealand into Level 2 until midnight Wednesday, 17 February.

Panmure-Otahuhu's Labour MP Jenny Salesa is reminding constituents that they defeated the virus last year by pulling together.

She wants to avoid any bullying or harrassment of sufferers.

"Targeting those particular families. And so, it was really just a reminder to our people in South Auckland that we have addressed Covid-19 successfully in the past," said Salesa.

Ministry of Health guidelines restrict testing to those with at least one symptom of infection, or where there has been a cluster, or an outbreak in a vulnerable facility. Officials have maintained there is no need to expand the testing definition.

But at a community testing centre in Otara, managed by South Seas Healthcare, anyone living in a crowded home or with a pre-existing health condition can be tested, according to South Seas GP Andrew Chan Mow.

Odeliah Tonga was described as always full of energy and will be sorely missed, Stuff reported.

Police said in a statement the child died after being struck by a vehicle in a driveway in Smiths Avenue.

Emergency services were called to the scene at 5.10pm, it said.

Police also said they were still investigating the fatality.

Odeliah’s grandmother Wilhemina Laulu told media the Calvary Pentecostal Fellowship, of which her son-in-law Daniel Tonga was the pastor, had been using the hall for the past two years.

The university is establishing a stand alone facility in Manukau to better cater for local communities, where a large percentage of New Zealand's Pacific population lives.

It has ended its association with the Manukau Institute of Technology and will soon have a facility which Pro Vice-Chancellor Damon Salesa said was designed for 21st century engagement with a critical community.

Dr Salesa said that would include teacher education.