Tongan

“Watching first-time parents gain that confidence, because you’re there from when the baby is literally newborn ‘til they’re about four. 

"So you just see that transition from being the nervous mum that’s paranoid about everything to becoming this confident mum that’s just enjoying her baby and enjoying being a mum.”

She said working alongside families and supporting their in their values and beliefs while raising their children has been a "real eye opener".

For many students, this year’s ASB Polyfest was their first chance to embrace their heritage on the grandest stage of them all.

With the Samoan and Tongan stages kicking off, it was natural some had butterflies.

"It feels good but I’m nervous at the same time," says a Year 7 St Peter's College Samoan student.

While for others, their competitive side was on show.

A Tongan student at Sacred Heart College says he joined the group to "make history, take home the dub and rep the culture".

Deborah Sanerivi says she started writing the books with her husband Oka to help her own family, as well as others.

“I wrote the books simply so I could learn. I couldn’t find resources that were structured in a way that helped me to say the sentences that I wanted to say to my new little girl.

“As she got older and we started to incorporate more sentences and more of the language into her life, we realised there are more families like ours that don’t necessarily have the language base to help them speak our language or their language to their children.”

He was Auckland-based Tongan, Michael Joseph Finekifolau, aged 22.       

Western Bay of Plenty Area Response Manager Senior Sergeant Shannon Clifford said Finekifolau had not returned from a swim at Mt Maunganui on Saturday 7 November.

“Our thoughts are with his whanau at this time and Police continue to provide them with support.”

Samiuela Anania Tupou, 21, died at Seaside Park in Ōtāhuhu in the early hours of May 25.

He was found in critical condition and later died at the scene despite medical attention.

Stuff.co reports Tupou had just recently returned from the United States to live with his family in Mangere before he died.

No arrests have been made, police said. 

Counties Manukau CIB detective senior Sergeant Malcolm Hassall said Tupou had no criminal history and they believed the offender was not known to him.

He said investigations were ongoing.

Samiuela Anania Tupou was shot in Seaside Park in Otahuhu shortly after 4.30 on Saturday morning.

Newstalk ZB reports the 21-year-old suffered critical injuries and died at the scene.

Police are appealing for any sightings of a light or gold-coloured people mover, similar to a Honda Odyssey, in the area on Friday night or Saturday morning.

They're also wanting anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have any information to come forward to police.

Photo supplied 

A Nevada news media report said another hearing was scheduled for this month.

Siaosi Vanisi was convicted in the beating death of police officer George Sullivan while in his patrol car at a parking lot near an information kiosk between UNR’s Morrill Hall and Manzanita Lake.

Sullivan had 10 blows to his face, seven to his scalp area, two on the upper part of his body and another to the left hand that nearly severed two fingers, an autopsy report said.

This was not the first time Vanisi’s death case had been challenged in court.

Paul Harman is wanted in Washington alleged rape of an underage girl 13 years ago, but he fled the US.

He was arrested in American Samoa last month, and has been held in custody without bail while his attorney fought an extradition order.

According to American Samoa's High Court filings, an extradition request was filed from the US in October.

The governor of Washington state sent a written demand to his American Samoa counterpart to have Mr Harman sent back to the US to stand trial for the alleged crime.

The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Ta'u Pupu'a played football and studied music at Weber State University, the Deseret News reported.

"I heard him singing in one of the practice rooms at Weber. I was walking down the hall and heard him sing and I thought, 'My, what a wonderful voice' and (I) knocked on the door," said Evelyn Harris, Pupu'a's college voice teacher. "We became acquainted and he became my student."

Pupu'a was known for playing football, Harris remembered, "but he also loved to sing."

Alo Ngata, 29, died in Auckland Hospital three days after a fracas with police as they tried to arrest him following an incident on Sunday afternoon in Freemans Bay.

Police allege Ngata violently attacked a 76-year-old, kicking him five or six times in the head and rendering him unconscious.

He then blocked police from getting to the injured pensioner and advanced on officers in a threatening manner.

Police Tasered Ngata several times but he continued to resist them.

It took four officers to restrain him.