it’s that I do something that I wholeheartedly believe in Most people have heard of the whole Simon Sinek thing – fulfil your why and you’ll be happy I think I do that through what we do at Jenza because it’s something I know firsthand as a person who’s done working holidays and the positive impact that that can have Knowing that there are now thousands of people that are going and having that same wonderful experience Just about everybody I’ve ever met in it is in it for the same reason – nobody’s doing this job just for the sake of it It’s a time that none of us like to think about in the travel industry the dark days of Covid – and I’m extremely proud that we didn’t close for a single day which is actually one of the JENZA group’s now-legacy brands We kept operating – I didn’t stop working at all We actually managed to come out the other side with more energy and passion for what we’re doing today as [the current] JENZA group than we were before My best was probably a road trip around Canada But I actually got to spend time on my road trip through Quebec and into the untouched national park in Ontario It’s amazing how much of Canada is just wilderness but I think probably one of the biggest takeaways was how few people What’s the biggest challenge in your profession I think most governments have really positive intentions when it comes to helping young people travel and work in their respective countries But no government that I’ve seen yet has nailed making processes and routes easy enough – or available enough What’s a memorable cultural exchange you’ve experienced It doesn’t feel like there should be as big a clashing culture between the UK and the US as perhaps there is when you actually experience it And I’ve spent a lot of my career in the US now living and being at summer camp in the US – I’m thinking Everyone had the this energy and enthusiasm for a standard conversation that I just hadn’t experienced We send thousands of young people off to work at summer camps in the US and it’s one of my favourite things now when we do pre-departure orientations to get big groups of students into the room and I get them to play American summer camp games with each other What language would you like to learn instantly and why Mainly because I can really convincingly introduce myself and ask where the disco is What’s the most important trait that someone in your profession should possess I think flexibility is definitely a huge one The nature of what we do means everything is almost always in some form of of flux But then also I think it’s about being able of being flexible in how you’re approaching every single different person that you speak to When you’re working with people who are going on planning adventures and going abroad every single person has different level of needs and support So you have to be someone that can constantly change how you’re communicating About The PIE News Regions 27 Aug 2024 By > No online subscription: This article requires a subscription to read it in full. If you already have a subscription, please click here to sign in or see below for how to set up your subscription today > Already have an account, click here to sign in Check if you already have access from your company or university Sage Maresty and Ashley Clearsky were intrigued by the advertising but underwhelmed by the reality. (Source: Te Karere) Two First Nations visitors spent thousands of dollars on an indigenous youth programme they say failed to deliver on what they hoped would be a cultural experience of a lifetime. Ashley Clearsky and Sage Maresty allege GO International and JENZA Travel, which managed the New Zealand end of the programme, are targeting young indigenous Canadians by using Māori culture. Both Clearsky and Maresty first became aware of GO International’s Indigenous Youth Group programme through social media. “I seen an advertisement on Facebook, and it was like a big heading, it said: Are you indigenous? Are you between the ages of 19 and 35? Do you want to travel to New Zealand? Do you want to experience the Māori culture? And that's what really attracted me,” Clearsky said. Maresty said he was alerted to the ad by a friend. He had visited New Zealand twice before and wanted to start afresh. “Back home, I was kind of just working the same job, so I just wanted to experience something new, a new chapter in life. “The opportunity to actually live and work here was something that really intrigued me,” he said. On its website, GO International says it offers a 12-week programme that fosters “cross-cultural understanding and empowering indigenous youth from Canada to explore the breathtaking landscapes of New Zealand while gaining valuable work experience”. Screenshot of the GO International website with details of the New Zealand Indigenous Youth Group programme. (Mariana Whareaitu) It said participants would have the opportunity to engage with Māori, build lasting connections with local communities, and doing paid work. The programme was jointly hosted and managed by JENZA Travel, “a working holiday company in New Zealand that has strong connections with employers and the Māori communities” in Aotearoa. It cost CAD$4000 ($4875) per person, not including return flights, insurance or visa fees. Accommodation for participants was provided during orientation and on tours, but during work weeks, not-paid-for accommodation was organised. According to JENZA Travel’s social responsibility impact report, the programme was an “immersive pilot scheme for First Nations young people to travel and work for Māori-owned businesses in New Zealand”. They expected more than 40 participants between February and April. Alarm bells first started ringing for Clearsky and Maresty at a pre-departure meeting held over a Zoom call. They met their point of contact from JENZA Travel who was not indigenous, said Clearsky. "As soon as we came to Aotearoa, we weren't given the proper welcoming ceremony or protocols that should have been in place. "I should’ve seen that, maybe, something was up with that because how could they, when they're not indigenous? No one on the programme was indigenous, like the leaders or the people that were managing us." Clearsky said the trip was fine for the initial two weeks, but delays to their work placement meant there were last minute changes to accommodation and major changes to the itinerary. She said they were told not to worry and that, something was being sorted out. In the meantime, their cover letters and resumes were sent that day. “And I was just thinking, well, that's so last minute, what do you mean you just sent off our resumes and cover letters today? This programme was supposed to be a year in the making, how come there was no Plan B? How come we're in an Airbnb, randomly, like nowhere to stay?” The itinerary on the GO International website said, from week three, participants could expect to work for four weeks and earn a minimum of $750 per week. Instead, Clearsky said they were taken to a lodge, an organic farm volunteering facility which they say wasn't part of the itinerary. "We were promised jobs," she said. At this point, Clearsky said they left the programme to stay with family who were in the country. Maresty said it was a safety net they recognised others did not have. "I'm lucky to have whānau in Rotorua so I was able to also run away in the sense of, like, leave the lodge, and my whānau was able to come and help me, protect me and keep me safe." He said, for many on the programme, it was their first time travelling, "their first time leaving anything, and this was a three-month programme". "So, to not have that support... and not have any confirmations of times A, B, C, D, and just being left unread when you're messaging them, asking them what's the next step and there's no reply – it's kind of disheartening and really frustrating." In a joint statement, GO International and JENZA said they recognised providing a programme for indigenous community members required "representation, cultural sensitivity and potentially additional support". "Since the group's arrival in New Zealand, our team has been actively engaged with participants and Māori community members to support them through their experience and collect ongoing feedback on how to improve the programme. "This is the first year that we are running the pilot programme and we experienced an unforeseen delay in the start date for work placements in the kiwifruit industry due to seasonal changes. "All other planned cultural activities were delivered or will be delivered later in the programme, with additional activities and accommodations provided for participants to gain further insight into the rich history and culture of Aotearoa, New Zealand. "Alternate work arrangements were made for participants and we continue to offer group members alternate employment and experiences upon request." Clearsky and Maresty returned to the programme once the job placement was confirmed and they started working at a kiwifruit packing house but issues continued where they found mice and cockroaches at their accommodation, said Clearsky. They were then told a significant part of the itinerary would not be going ahead. "I had asked [JENZA] if we would be continuing on with any of the promised itinerary that was set in our e-book that was given to us from the beginning. We were supposed to go to Rotorua, we were supposed to do a youth forum with other Māori communities." The website itinerary outlined a trip to Rotorua on week seven would include a Māori cultural experience where participants would "experience the warmth of Māori hospitality" at a marae stay and visit to Whakarewarewa Village. On week 12, the itinerary read that participants would be given the opportunity to engage with local Māori youth as part of a forum, as well as visit local kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa. But Clearsky said they were told they were just going to work and stay put until the end of the programme. At this point, the pair dropped out of the programme for a second time. Go International and JENZA said they acknowledged the discrepancies between the expected and delivered aspects of the working holiday component and the cultural immersion experience. "We are working closely with the participants to address their concerns and meet their needs, including offering new placements, different accommodations and individual refunds where appropriate," they said. "We understand the significance of the issues raised and have also taken immediate steps to restructure the programme to ensure it respects and reflects the values and needs of all participants, including meaningful engagement with the Māori community and appropriate work placements." Sage Maresty (left) and Ashley Clearsky (right) show their host Rita Peihopa (middle) the itinerary they were given for the indigenous youth programme (Source: Te Karere) Rita Peihopa (Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Rēhia) worked within the intercultural exchange space and was now hosting Clearsky and Maresty. In her professional capacity, Peihopa had travelled to Canada and engaged with First Nations people there. She believed any visitor to the country should be welcomed accordingly. GO International and JENZA Travel said they worked closely with “Indigenous communities across Canada and the Māori community in New Zealand” from the start of the programme. “On the Canadian side, we have an Indigenous Advisory Council that guides our policies and practices and all our team leaders are Indigenous. “On the New Zealand side, we work with Māori community members to create cultural programming and deliver the programme experience. We have also employed a Māori programme assistant for our group activities and to provide greater engagement, representation and cultural sensitivity on the ground.” The pair have since continued to explore the country on their own and with the help of their networks. "The people that we've met, the families, the friends, everybody along the way have been so helpful and accommodating," Maresty said. "Every time I've told a Māori person what has happened, they have been so devastated, so heartbroken about it because they understand — they know culture's a huge thing." "We're making the best of our trip,” said Clearsky. “We've made some really amazing friends, and they've helped us a great deal, so what we're going to do from here is we're going to travel a bit more, see the Coromandel, and also we have plans to go to a local marae and just make that connections ourselves. "We're determined to make the most of our trip without them." Iwi misses out on bid to buy back ancestral mountain The campaign to bring the Kahurānaki back into Māori ownership included a 10-day hīkoi from Māhia to Kahurānaki Te Ao Māori Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu – a new body of representatives from the region’s eight iwi – to govern the park alongside the conservation minister Puanga to take starring role at this year's Matariki celebrations The theme for this year's Matariki holiday is 'Matariki mā Puanga' highlighting the communities who observe the star Puanga in their astronomical traditions Posthumous Oxford degree for Māori scholar Mākereti Papakura the first indigenous woman to study at the University of Oxford awarded a degree from the institution nearly a hundred years after attending Cancer survivor’s decade-long path to wellness: ‘Rongoā Māori saved me’ Northland educator Tanya Filia was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour that led to a terminal prognosis over 10 years ago Iwi boss accuses MPs of 'scaremongering' with Waitākere Ranges claims Shane Jones and David Seymour need to "learn to read" the chief executive of a West Auckland iwi says after they criticised a proposal by Auckland Council to work more closely with the iwi as "co-governance" Film industry anxiously awaits details on Trump's 100% movie tariff 7:17pm Search underway for Masterton man, 74, missing since Sunday 7:07pm Crooks, culture first order of business for Mike Bush in Victoria 7:05pm Charges filed against Woolworths over pricing, misleading specials 6:45pm Police, experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising 6:33pm Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves 7:28pm 1US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon Hawke's Bay iwi Ngāti Kahungunu has been unsuccessful in its bid to buy back the mountain Kahurānaki but the iwi says its connection to the land will always remain Kahurānaki Station - a 1156 hectare sheep and beef farm south of Havelock North which includes the peak of the mountain - came up for sale earlier this year and the iwi launched a fundraising campaign to buy it The campaign to bring the Kahurānaki back into Māori ownership was called He Maunga Ka Taea and included a 10-day hīkoi from Māhia to Kahurānaki It raised more than $95,000 on crowd funding platform koha.kiwi Hastings-based post-settlement governance entity Tamatea Pōkai Whenua Trust submitted a tender on behalf of the iwi Chairman Pōhatu Paku said the trust was the only local entity to tender for the Station and they were saddened and disappointed by the outcome The trust had approached the tender on the basis it was presented Paku acknowledged the young and emerging iwi members who had generated the groundswell of support for the tender and for the longer term status of the mountain ki tēnā o tātau e titikaha nei ki tēnei kaupapa I just want to acknowledge and mihi to everybody that has connected with this kaupapa Paku said the trust would be engaging with the station's new owners at an appropriate time to convey the iwi's history and also set out their aspirations "The continuation of the protection of our wāhi tapu (sacred sites) is significantly important to us Continued access to the mountain would also be a high priority "The previous owners were quite open for Kura for people running kaupapa and also those that wished to ascend the maunga they allowed that they identified that it was culturally significant to us all." Paku said Tamatea Pōkai Whenua will need to foster the groundswell of support and leadership that the He Maunga Ka Taea campaign had generated "The whakapapa connections and taonga that is Kahurānaki maunga remain our greatest advantage is that we live in perpetuity and our maunga and our tīpuna live with us and they continue to be ours "And like all of our tūtohu whenua (landmarks) our maunga carries our traditions and our identity and our histories and we remain uncompromising to act in the best interests of our tūtohu whenua both for this generation and for future generations." Paku said the trust may look at legal personhood as another avenue to protect the mountain but ultimately he said the maunga remains an ancestor and retains its own mana which no one can ever own rnz.co.nz A trail-blazing tribal leader today starts a new job bringing together eight iwi to look after Taranaki Maunga Iwi now have equal say with the Crown in running the former Egmont National Park The Minister of Conservation will need iwi agreement to approve management plans for what is now called Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki The arrangement is laid out in Te Ture Whakatupua mō te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Act passed unanimously by Parliament in January Another group called Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi – half appointed by iwi and half by the Crown – will develop management plans for Te Tōpuni Ngārahu and the minister to consider Wano has for nine years been the first chief executive of Te Kāhui o Taranaki the agency set up when Taranaki iwi settled its historical Treaty claims Wano has helped shape Taranaki iwi’s future and he’s also a trustee for the neighbouring iwi’s post-settlement agency Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. He’s one of the dozen counsellors on the Kīngitanga’s Tekau-mā-rua the advisory body for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po – as he was for her father the late Kīngi Tūheitia At Wano’s farewell from Te Kāhui o Taranaki veteran campaigner Peter Moeahu said Wano was “an ambassador a diplomat extraordinaire,” and reckoned he would need those skills “You might have thought handling one iwi was bad enough referring to South Taranaki’s Te Pakakohi and Tangahoe which are not recognised as iwi by the Crown Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Jacqui King said Wano had dealt with arms of the Crown on many fronts really challenging because often you get so impassioned by the unjust behaviours and practices “You have to carry that in such a way that you can't be asked to leave - and Whare is an absolute expert at ensuring he says what needs to be said without being offensive.” Te Kāhui’s operations manager Mark Wipatene said he’d known many aggressive cut-throat chief executives – “silverback gorillas who have massive egos” “They wouldn’t last a day in this space because you can’t operate that way.” “Whare has the ability to navigate through that world and bring his kaimahi with him because he has no ego Liana Poutu helped negotiate the maunga settlement and said Wano’s calming influence wasn’t limited to dealings with government “And when we want to take on some whawhai (fight) Whare’s like ‘are you sure that's how you want to do it?’” Wano’s niece and former colleague Puna Wano-Bryant said he would bring impeccable communication to the Maunga job “He has the ability to open new ways for people to heal and reconcile their own relationships with each other.” Wano-Bryant said she often spotted surfboards in her uncle’s car and he would explain he was off to a “board hui” Fellow surfer and new Taranaki Regional Council chair Craig Williamson has known Wano for almost 20 years and praised his work for the betterment of Taranaki communities We’ve had three board meetings this week.” In 2016 the Crown accepted that Taranaki Maunga and the adjacent ranges would become a legal person and own itself as Te Kāhui Tupua the Crown agreed to share management of the national park Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki with iwi There's now a search on for four people to represent the iwi of Taranaki on Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi serving as the face and voice of Te Kāhui Tupua When Parliament passed the redress law in January it officially recognised the peaks as tupuna maunga – ancestral mountains LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air The theme for this year's Matariki holiday is 'Matariki mā Puanga' highlighting the communities who observe the star Puanga in their astronomical traditions the brightest star in the Orion constellation In the late autumn and early winter night sky Matariki is seen below Puanga and to the left of Tautoru (the three stars of Orion's Belt) Puanga becomes especially prominent in the evening sky towards the end of autumn and in the predawn sky during the first month of the Māori new year Puanga will feature at this year's nationally broadcast hautapu ceremony hosted by Ngāti Rangi at the base of Ruapehu Ngāti Rangi spokesperson and leading Puanga expert Che Wilson said it was an honour for the iwi to host the ceremony and to be a part of the work that has been done over the past few years by Professor Rangi Mātāmua and all the host iwi - from Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Toa to Te Arawa and last year Ngāi Tahu Traditional stories related to Puanga are shared across many iwi across Aotearoa but are prominent on the western side of Te Ika a Maui The North Island's main divide of the Tararua Ruahine and Kaimanawa ranges separates the island's weather systems so Puanga gives iwi on the western side a better read on how to prepare for the year ahead "The reason we look to Puanga isn't because we can't see Matariki there are parts of the region where you can't but actually the reason we look to Puanga is because Puanga gives us a better read for the weather on the west coast," he said Wilson said traditionally iwi on the west coast would start to observe changes in the weather during autumn while the months around Matariki were a time to wānanga "The thing is that Puanga and Matariki aren't that different We do have a separate ceremony done the month before called Te Maru o te Tau where we send all of our mate with the setting sun to the pō and that's when we call out our names." Matariki and Puanga have always gone together in karakia They also look to other celestial bodies such as the Southern Cross "In our karakia we acknowledge Matariki during the mate because they become part of te huihui o Matariki So that's our reference to Matariki but the remainder of the ceremony is actually focussed in on looking at Puanga." Wilson said it was a beautiful thing that New Zealand is starting to recognise both Matariki and Puanga "It's a chance for everybody to go out and send intention to whoever you may call your atua and to make that connection to nature Wilson said this year's hautapu ceremony will differ slightly from those broadcast in previous years After the opening of the ceremony the next step is te tākiritanga o ngā mate invoking those people who have died in the last year "We don't call out our mate but we then invoke them to transition to become stars." But Wilson said instead of offering food to the stars they are offered to four atua or deities "So we give to atua rather than stars though those atua are also shown in the sky at that time." The last part of the ceremony is the whakapūmautanga where a pou or post is placed into the ground Wilson said those reciting the karakia bind the pou with intention as they "commit ourselves to our tūpuna rnz.co.nz will receive a posthumous degree from the institution nearly a hundred years after attending and her whānau have been fighting for recognition of her achievements for decades A small group of her female descendants from Tūhourangi and Ngāti Wāhiao gathered today at Whakarewarewa Thermal Village in Rotorua to celebrate and talk about their "Kui Maggie" hearing the news made for a "wonderful day" she is a great leader for us and this generation so I'm really proud to have her as my kui." June Northcroft Grant said the family have been waiting a long time "This conversation started probably about 30 years ago We never expected that they might do something about it — we hoped that they would.” Papakura enrolled at Oxford in 1922 where she studied anthropology Her thesis explored the customs and practices of Te Arawa from a female perspective and was published posthumously eight years after her death in a book title The Old Time Māori The scholar lived during a time where Māori culture and language were in decline due to the impact of colonisation and the suppression of te reo Māori "She thought that she was writing about the last words of her people," said Northcroft Grant "because the language was going to be redundant Her thesis was the first ethnographic account of Māori life by a Māori scholar Papakura was an example of a great leader and "incredible trailblazer" having this internal self-confidence about the depth of our knowledge system and having our own mana over the sharing of our mātauranga she influenced this kind of global sector of anthropology.” What set her work apart from those of her contemporaries wasthat she was a female studying in a male-dominant field "It was mainly English men travelling around the world and then writing up through their lens 'these are the cultures' and here was our kuia who went all the way over there and said 'kāo She said academics in the past focused on the men in those cultures but her kui wrote about women and children "That again was a really big point of difference," said Mikaere "and I think we've got letters to show that a lot of the sirs and wardens of the houses at Oxford recognised the scientific value of what she was bringing to this one of the oldest academic institutions in the world." Northcroft Grant said her “nanny” documented her life with beauty and grace writing in English It was a shame she passed before attaining her degree "It was a sad end to her life that she died so suddenly it was published and it was put into museums and universities but it was never a volume of work that was celebrated in any other form." Lani Kereopa said sharing kōrero about "Maggie" as a whānau gave them an opportunity to reflect and appreciate their ancestor’s legacy "Every few years you might pick [her book] up again and there's something new you learn that you think Papakura will receive a Master’s in Philosophy of Anthropology from the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at Oxford Members of her whānau and representatives of her iwi are expected to attend a ceremony later this year Tanya Filia (Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Tahu) was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour more than 10 years ago. When she was told it was terminal she turned to rongoā Māori – traditional Māori healing – a decision that she says saved her life. She shared her story with Leigh-Marama McLachlan on Marae rongoā Māori has had a life changing impact on her and her whānau she was diagnosed with a brain tumour after she experienced the inability to recall some words and suffered from massive headaches ended up in Whangārei Hospital where I had a scan and they found that I had a grade four glioblastoma brain tumour ‘what am I supposed to do with that?’ It’s devastating She underwent an intense treatment plan that included surgery to remove most of the mass followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy – a hard and fast approach she felt pressured to endure “No conversation at all about anything else We’re talking 42 treatments of radiation directly to my brain,” she said Initially she went into remission but in 2015 she was told the cancer was back and it had spread She refused to undergo further chemo and radiation therapy – “the mask on to my face where they pin you down to give you radiation I said 'I’m not doing that again'” – opting instead for rongoā Māori natural therapies and intravenous Vitamin C Rongoā Māori is a wide-ranging holistic approach When asked to describe what happens during a mirimiri session Tanya explains how it begins with karakia to cleanse and prepare her “for walking in that space” “I go to a place where I walk and speak and talk to my tupuna,” she said and absolutely it is beautiful for my tinana.” Rongoā Māori is undergoing a resurgence. In 2023, the failed Therapeutics Products Bill drew criticism from practitioners and whānau for its impact on rongoā Māori ACC has recognised the traditional Māori healing practice and offer rongoā as a recovery option Thousands of people have claimed for rongoā services since Speaking as part of a discussion panel following Tanya’s story said they work closely with the rongoā community and have an advisory panel to ensure controls “What we’ve found is as we’ve worked with the community through their leadership it’s kept us safe and ensures the integrity of rongoā is maintained.” ACC has partnered with more than 160 rongoā practitioners where the registration process includes an endorsement from mana whenua a police check and requirement for all practitioners to be subject to the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994 Paea said it was about ensuring that clients are treated fairly and that there’s a good quality care of service When asked if rongoā Māori is valued in general leading practitioner Donna Kerridge (Ngāti Tahinga Ngāti Mahuta) said it is by those who use it but “maybe not” by others who don’t understand “I think it’s hard to value something that you don’t understand She said a lot more can be done to help improve collaboration “between those of us who will work towards the same goal” of serving people to the best of their abilities Tanya has been met with scepticism throughout her journey with people questioning rongoā Māori but is adamant that it is the patient’s choice wants and desires of the patient that’s been diagnosed When asked if she thinks she’s encouraging people to opt out of western treatments in favour of Māori healing approaches she strongly denies wanting to discourage anyone off radiotherapy or chemotherapy but only hopes to share her experience I don’t carry the responsibility of others All I do is share my journey so people can get a different perspective.” Tanya wants to see terminally ill patients given more treatment options and be allocated funds so they can access whatever healing method they believe in Going through the ordeal of a brain scan for official confirmation took courage on Tanya’s part What if I go and have a scan and they said it’s all over [that] it’s so widespread there’s nothing we can do about it She becomes emotional recalling what her daughter said to persuade her to go through with it Her bravery was rewarded with her doctor reporting back that there was no indication of cancer “[Rongoā Māori is] a choice that we made and it’s worked out for us I’ve been blessed enough to get longevity also there’s no other way to think about that.” Watch this episode of Marae on TVNZ+ for more on this story rongoā Māori – traditional Māori healing practice that takes a holistic approach to wellbeing NZ First and ACT MPs Shane Jones and David Seymour need to "learn to read" Edward Ashby said the central government MPs were up to "mischief" spreading "misinformation" and "scaremongering" Jones and Seymour are concerned about the potential for iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki to be part of a committee overseeing the Waitākere Ranges but Auckland councillor Richard Hill said the proposal simply progresses something that was agreed to 17 years ago the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act recognised the area as nationally significant and specified it needed to be protected It also said it would progress a Deed of Acknowledgement that the Auckland Council the Crown and the nominated iwi would enter into Now the council is moving forward to create that deed with consultation on the proposal closing yesterday Auckland councillor Richard Hills explained the deed would "in practice" acknowledge the relationship and interest a range of parties have in the Waitākere Ranges enable more recreation and protection of the ranges into the future" "This was asked for unanimously by the local boards and also unanimously by the Auckland Council." Part of the proposal is to establish a joint committee under the Local Government Act with equal representation from Auckland Council the Crown and tangata whenua - in this case Te Kawerau ā Maki NZ First MP Shane Jones has condemned the idea saying his party will never agree to an iwi having "50% sovereignty over the Waitakere forest" no more co-governance of these public service-orientated outcomes." He said the moment you have a "50/50 committee set up as part of the Supercity" it will "morph in no time whatsoever into shared sovereignty over the Waitākere" That is an asset that primarily must serve all the interests and all the needs of Auckland." Coalition partner and Epsom electorate MP David Seymour agreed saying the Waitākere Ranges is a "very special area to many Aucklanders" "The idea it should be governed half by people whose ancestors arrived 800 years ago and half by people whose ancestors arrived more recently He was also concerned about decisions being made to close tracks saying those needed to be made "according to the best science" "And the people with the best science are the people who have the skills experience and qualifications to make the decision is not actually a scientific qualification." Chief executive of Te Kawerau ā Maki Edward Ashby suggested the MPs "learn to read" because "that's not what the information out there says" Ashby pointed out it had taken 17 years to act on what the legislation had promised "which is a deed to be progressed" "acknowledges our association" and "identifies opportunities for us to contribute to the management of the public land" "And so one of the ways we wanted to do that was basically set up a forum or a table for us and the Crown and Council to talk." He said that it would be a "non-statutory" body and would be used to coordinate a plan for the area Ashby maintained the proposal was not co-governance and said the MPs were up to "mischief" It's obviously on trend for some members of this Government He said he thought Te Kawerau ā Maki were being used as a "political football' and the idea that the proposal was co-governance was "misinformation" there would be land in a different structure there'd be decision making over money and things like that "Power isn't being taken away from anyone." He explained the council would still make final decisions over land it manages He said the idea that there'll be "Kawerau police" telling people what they can and can't do on the property was an "absolute fairytale" saying "there's no change of ownership or change of decision making," and that it was simply about "doing what we're already doing in disparate ways" mana whenua together to "improve the future of the Waitākere Ranges and ensure the investment is going in the right places" He said this is "nothing like" the co-governance the government approved a couple of months ago for Taranaki Seymour acknowledged it was ultimately a decision for the local council and said that is why ACT plans to stand candidates in the local body elections for the first time "The legislation in question is actually a local bill which is quite difficult for Parliament to change without the local council asking for it to happen we're standing local candidates so precisely that can happen." Jones said he would be taking the issue to caucus and he will be taking it up with the Minister of Conservation but he declined because it is a local government issue By Lillian Hanly of rnz.co.nz A search and rescue operation is underway for a Masterton man in his 70s missing since Sunday John Rafferty was last seen at Masterton Railway Station about midday on May 4 The 74-year-old did not board a train and left on foot about 20 minutes later Matheson said it was possible Rafferty was staying with a friend but police and loved ones "want to know he’s safe" and John doesn’t have his cell phone or wallet," he said A search team and a helicopter has been out looking for the missing man "We are really keen to know that he’s safe." Police have released an image from CCTV showing Rafferty on a station platform on the day of his disappearance He was wearing a blue jacket with 'NASA' written on the back Anyone who saw him was asked to contact police on 111 or online at 105 if there was Information after the fact The next top cop of the troubled Victoria police force embraces his "outsider" status to curb its leadership malaise and has a stern warning for crooks Former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush won the race to become Victoria's chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes The 40-year police veteran steps into the role on June 27 with a five-year contract The Kiwi conceded the job will be no picnic with Victoria's crime rate hitting an almost decade-high in 2024 everyone knows that," he told reporters today "These crime issues are actually global they are quite similar wherever you go but it's not good enough just to turn up after the act Rising youth crime and high-profile cases of alleged offenders committing crimes while on bail spurred the Victorian government to strengthen laws in March Bush said he was familiar with the crackdown but bail laws were just one part of the solution to tackling youth crime along with a "prevention mindset" He retired from the NZ police force in 2020 after joining in 1978 and spending his final six years in the top job Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption and Covid-19 pandemic were among the biggest crises Bush confronted during his tenure Bush also made headlines in 2022 after it emerged he had a past drink-driving conviction when unsuccessfully applying to become head of the UK's Metropolitan Police Former New Zealand police minister Stuart Nash describedr Bush as hard but fair He said Bush regularly met with police forces across the Tasman in his previous role and recalled travelling with him to every district across New Zealand once a year to chew the fat with communities and then we all had biscuits and a cup of tea," Nash told AAP "Mike is someone who had deep credibility in policing." The state government has not handed the reins of Victoria Police to an outsider since former NSW Police assistant commissioner Christine Nixon in 2001 The Kiwi was happy to wear the "outsider" tag and is already hatching plans to hit the ground running "I've got a lot to do to come up to speed," Bush said "Culture is a consequence of leadership." establishing relationships with community groups amid rising tensions and increasing police visibility on the beat were among his other top initial priorities Victoria Police was thrust into leadership turmoil in February with a no-confidence vote from officers costing chief commissioner Shane Patton his job Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent became acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent before throwing in the towel in April Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill will serve in an acting capacity until Bush takes over Bush intends to speak with Patton before starting and said he wouldn't shy away from pushing back if he disagreed with the government Premier Jacinta Allan said a recruitment agency was hired and instructed to find a leader capable of addressing the "challenges" plaguing the force "Mike Bush is the best person for the job," she said whose union led the no-confidence vote against Patton following a bitter pay dispute admitted there was a disconnect between members and leaders The state police union secretary welcomed Mr Bush's appointment and pledge to listen to the mounting workforce concerns "We have a police force that is currently under-resourced that needs fresh officers," he said The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against Woolworths NZ for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading specials that may have breached the Fair Trading Act The commission filed the charges against Woolworths in the Auckland District Court It indicated in December last year that it would be filing separate criminal charges against Woolworths and two Pak'nSave supermarkets the commission said there were ongoing issues with pricing in the supermarket sector and the operators may have breached the Fair Trading Act deputy chair Anne Callinan said operators should know what the expectations were "Supermarkets have long been on notice about the importance of accurate and clear pricing and specials and we're not satisfied with the continuing issues we're seeing across the industry "Pricing accuracy is a consumer right and an expectation of a competitive market well-resourced businesses that should invest the time and effort to get pricing and promotions right." She said the charges were filed to remind all supermarkets that they are expected to fix the pricing accuracy issues and implement better processes In a statement when the charges were announced Woolworths managing director Spencer Sonn said it was important customers could trust prices advertised at their supermarkets Woolworths said it has cooperated with the Commerce Commission's pricing investigation for some time rnz.co.nz Former prime minister Sir John Key says he remains optimistic about Donald Trump's domestic economic policy despite opposing the tariff strategy that has sent global markets into turmoil in recent months who served as prime minister for eight years was the keynote speaker at an Auckland business summit earlier today Sir John told 1News he believed Trump would ultimately take a more moderate approach to tariffs than initially proposed "I'm not a fan of tariff policies I don't think they really work," he said as I think the stock market is telling you at the moment that actually there will be a more sensible landing place for the tariffs that he's wanting to impose." Sir John said he "wasn't entirely surprised" at Trump's call to go ahead with the policy "They're just a negotiating point I think he simply put on widespread and high rates of tariffs on every country to give himself a leverage point and a negotiating point "What I think he actually grossly underestimated was the stock market reaction You can actually make the case that his own strategy hasn't worked The reason the markets have recovered is because he's taken those tariffs off the most part 'I'm going to negotiate case by case'." Sir John suggested Trump's economic policies could still generally be positive for the US but the tariffs could be trickier for the global economy Asked whether he stood by his October comments that Trump would be good for the economy he said: "Do I think he's going to reduce regulatory burden in the United States It depends on where things shake down in terms of tariffs." Sir John acknowledged that for certain industries Trump's policies could be "a really negative thing" particularly if the president's proposed 100% tariff on the film industry were to be implemented "I can't see how it would be cost-competitive to make a movie in New Zealand with a 100% tariff on it," he said noting that films such as The Hobbit would not have been made in New Zealand without government subsidies who now served as a director of US tech company Palo Alto Networks said he had "always been opposed" to Trump's tariff policies but believes they won't be the "dominant part of his economic solutions" "I don't think it's perfect from New Zealand's point of view but I don't think we should panic either and America will still be a very big market for us to sell things to," he said "There are growing markets around the world It's not a great thing from New Zealand's point of view We've got a very sound economy with lots of options in front of us." Sir John suggested a belief that the Republican Trump was was better "on balance" for the US economy than Democratic opponent Kamala Harris he expressed concerns about Trump's tariff approach: "China doesn't pay those tariffs middle-income consumers or consumers in America do because when a tariff goes on a good that you bring into a country He added: "I don't agree with the massive tariffs and I don't think you'll follow through with all of that and I certainly don't agree with this view on trade." Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family’s babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord – likely due to an abusive husband safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long,” he said Hanson was assigned the case in late February and he and other officials met with Backeberg’s family to see if they had a connection with that region They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account obituaries and marriage licenses from that region they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg including date of birth and social security number Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address "I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say ‘Oh nobody answered the door.’ And I thought it was the deputy calling me I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving.” Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found “I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes,” he said Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything any phone numbers of family members back here," he said "Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that.” The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims." Van Velden told Midday Report she believes in pay equity but the current thresholds were "a bit too loose" Asked how she ensure women were not hurt by this the minister said "I'm a woman and I support women who work" "I also support removing gender based discriminations from our workforces but what I don't support are muddied laws and unclear laws," she said "So these changes are better for all women who are working where we can genuinely say hand on heart that what they are finding with their claims is genuine gender based discrimination." Van Velden told reporters at Parliament any current claims would be stopped and need to restart under the new threshold to show "genuine" gender discrimination and make sure the comparators were right She gave a figure of 33 current claims that would be stopped as the legislation was put through under urgency "You have librarians who've been comparing themselves to transport engineers We have admin and clerical staff at Health New Zealand comparing themselves to mechanical engineers." Social workers had compared themselves to air traffic controllers "We don't believe we have that setting right." Any comparison would now be between female employees and male employees at the same employer "But you cannot go fishing for discrimination across the New Zealand workforce." All current settled claims would continue but the government was drawing "a line in the sand" "We're not stopping claims." The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers The union said the changes would make it "impossible for people in female-dominated professions to be paid fairly" "Women across the country will pay the price for this," PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said "The government's changes today are a dark day for New Zealand women as the government says it will repeal the pay equity law and extinguish 33 existing claims in a constitutional overreach "The PSA is exploring all possible avenues to oppose these unconstitutional amendments and stop this attack on women We will not be deterred in our fight to achieve pay equity for all." "This is a blatant and shameful attack on women," New Zealand Nurses organisation chief executive Paul Goulter said "Women in workforces predominantly performed by female employees have been underpaid and undervalued for generations That is what pay equity claims seek to rectify," he said "This move by the government will widen the pay gap between men and women." The union had at least 10 pay current pay claims across Aged Care These cover many nurses and support workers The E tū union also called the changes an attack on women and a green light to pay them less for work of equal value The government was pulling the rug out from under a 13-year-long fight in aged care "These changes are not about evidence — they are about saving money by keeping women underpaid," national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said in a statement A number of unions have called a snap rally at Parliament at 1pm today in light of the announcement the Council of Trade Unions and representatives of other unions say they will be "protesting the government's attack on women and the destruction of progress on pay equity..." rnz.co.nz Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted