East Auckland local tech advocate tackles the environmental cost of AI (Artificial Intelligence) A young woman from east Auckland is turning heads not just with her crown but with her kaupapa a proud alumni of Botany Downs Secondary College and recipient of the Flying Kiwis Scholarship in 2014 has been announced as a finalist for Miss Earth New Zealand 2024 Shae’s journey reflects a powerful blend of academic achievement She says she’s on a mission to bring urgent attention to the environmental impact of the digital age Her platform focuses on the rapidly escalating issue of e-waste and the ecological footprint of artificial intelligence – a challenge not often considered by everyday tech users “We’re so focused on how AI can change the world but we forget that these systems rely on vast computing power “It’s time we talked about tech’s hidden environmental toll,” says Shae Her passion for environmental justice is rooted in her dual identity as both a technologist and a wāhine Māori After earning her Master of Computer and Information Science degree That work explored how advanced AI models such as recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and transformers could be used to help Māori entrepreneurs grow sustainable I looked at how we can use smart AI tools – like the ones behind ChatGPT – to give our whānau an edge in the business world empowering them to succeed in ways that align with tikanga and community values.” collaborating with national organisations such as She Sharp she delivered a presentation at the prestigious AI Summit where she spoke about the cultural and environmental responsibilities that must accompany rapid technological advancement forward-thinking lens” to a pageant traditionally associated with glamour She believes her presence challenges stereotypes and redefines what it means to be a beauty queen “Miss Earth isn’t just about looking the part – it’s about living your purpose and raising your voice for causes that matter,” she says Shae will compete at the Miss Earth NZ finals on May 31 at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau The winner will go on to represent Aotearoa at the Miss Earth international pageant one of the world’s most prestigious and environmentally focused competitions “I’m incredibly proud to represent New Zealand and the east Auckland community that shaped me “Botany Downs was where my passion for innovation started and that seed has grown into something far greater than I imagined.” an independently-owned publishing company based in East Auckland Keep informed with the latest breaking news Our digital papers are emailed twice month on a Thursday You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/ this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read Tauranga Boys' College prop Ioapo Kupita looks to break the Auckland Grammar line with a 46-18 home victory over Auckland Grammar Grammar had previously pipped Rotorua Boys’ High School 32-27 in a pre-season classic thanks to a late try but Tauranga effortlessly punctured their otherwise perfect pre-season “We took their set piece away at scrum and lineout time and they just couldn’t get going,” said Tauranga coach Aidan Kuka Grammar now need to regroup before their Auckland 1A season-opener at home to Botany Downs Secondary College on Saturday while Tauranga’s next big school exchange is away to Westlake Boys High School on May 14 Tauranga were never behind against Grammar nabbed one try apiece on their respective wings while co-captain Jay McQuoid returned to action with one as well Brother Tommy McQuoid scored from fullback while other tries came from No 8 Seremaia Salikikoro and bench-starters Tipene Taikato-Smith and replacement halfback Will Baker Kicking was tricky in conditions where it rained for most of the first half but Tauranga first five-eighth Ivan Ward made two conversions and halfback Rydian Spice kicked a third Grammar were without New Zealand Schools centre Nico Stanley which meant the contest was robbed of a showdown with Tauranga co-captain Ethan McManemin a member of the New Zealand Māori squad last year Grammar are again being coached by Dave Askew While there was much college pride evident the match also marked the end of an era for the Botany Downs rugby programme with long-time head coach Logan Fui leading the team for the final time Fui had been instrumental in growing the college’s programme over the past decade but is now passing the torch to a new generation in former First XV captains Sua Ioane (2018-2020) and Trent Justino (2019-2022) The team will be managed by Craig Rooksy and Vanessa Walter with both Fui and Walter stepping into supporting roles for the remainder of the year Botany Downs principal Karen Brinsden paid tribute to Fui and the team “I am immensely proud of our First XV rugby team for making history once again by securing a victory against Tangaroa and ensuring our place in the 1A competition,” Brinsden said “This achievement is particularly remarkable given the relatively young age of our school The depth and growth of our rugby programme are a testament to the dedication and hard work of our coaches and managers over the years “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Logan Fui who will be transitioning into a supporting role this season His leadership and dedication have been invaluable to our team’s success.” when they qualified for 1A rugby for the first time however they found it to be a steep learning curve and finished bottom as well as critical exposure for the players many of whom gained first-hand experience competing against some of the nation’s best young players the playoff match was about more than survival “While some 1A programmes boast histories that span 50-100 years Botany’s success is a true David-v-Goliath story Botany continues to punch above its weight across multiple sporting codes and a culture that promotes high participation and inclusivity.” The clash with Tangaroa was a fiercely contested with both sides enjoying their share of possession and strong defensive moments the deadlock was broken when Botany executed a set-piece move from a tap penalty Flanker Dylan Terblanche powered through staunch Tangaroa defence to score under the posts with fullback Lauchlan Taylor adding the conversion for a crucial 7-0 lead Botany dominated possession late in the first half but were unable to convert promising opportunities out wide who launched relentless attacks and pinned Botany deep in their own half But defensive resilience was the key for Botany and they repelled wave after wave of Tangaroa pressure There was a critical moment when Taylor attempted a 45m penalty kick into a strong breeze to extend the lead but tricky conditions saw the ball fall short The final moments encapsulated the spirit of the game with Botany holding firm on their own 22 until a Tangaroa handling error sealed the result and celebrations began When Ōtara’s Tangaroa College beat Macleans College 27-24 in the Auckland 1B final last year they proudly posted the following engagingly viral mantra on social media: “No scholarships but unfortunately there is another “No” that is now hard to avoid: “No points” because the 7-0 loss follows on from the same playoff last year when Tangaroa also failed to score Westlake Boys’ High narrowly beat Liston 22-19 in a physical pre-season battle on Saturday with a lot of X-factor players with physical bulk and a standout centre who is fast and big,” warned Westlake coach Rob Midenhall Last year’s 1A round-robin top finishers Saint Kentigern finished their pre-season with a home game against St John’s (Hamilton) before a first-round tussle with De La Salle College But on Saturday play was called off early in the second half home team first): Dilworth v St Peter’s; St Kentigern v De La Salle; Mt Albert Grammar v King’s College; Sacred Heart v St Paul’s; Auckland Grammar v Botany Downs; Liston College v Kelston Westlake kick off their defence of the Kyocera-sponsored North Harbour First XV competition on Saturday with a home match against a Rangitoto team which troubled them last season Westlake have been solid in pre-season with skipper and openside flanker Arlo Leith perhaps the player most to watch out for In Westlake’s final warm-up win over Liston Hooker Jeremiah Samoa was the standout in defence with No 8 Solomone Tuitupo Westlake coach Rob Mildenhall welcomed the pressure of being the team everyone in North Harbour would be looking to knock over “One of the great things about working at a school like Westlake is it is a school that likes to achieve,” Mildenhall said “We want to perform in the face of pressure “Rangitoto were a young team last year but still gave us a tough time and will be a year older and wiser this time around.” North Harbour Kyocera First XV Saturday (all games 12 noon home team first): Whangārei v Massey; Rosmini v Takapuna Grammar; Ōrewa v Mahurangi; Westlake v Rangitoto Palmerston North Boys’ High School walloped Whanganui Collegiate 51-5 to win the first of their “White Jersey” traditional fixtures The rivalry between the schools stretches back to 1923 first five Jamie Viljoen flashed into a gap to register the first of his 21 points Openside Viliami Rongokea-Tupou was explosive and signed his name on the scoresheet Fullback Hunter Kennedy scored 17 tries in 2024 and applied an exclamation mark in this match when he sprinted 70m for the hosts’ seventh and final try The match doubled as a reunion for the 1975 First XV that beat New Plymouth Boys’ High School to win the Moascar Cup Future All Blacks hooker Bruce Hemara was the captain A Whanganui Collegiate Rugby Supporters’ social media post put the best possible spin on the result “Our men stuck at it till the final whistle and showed enough in patches to make sure this will be our worst result of the season.” Wellington premiership champions St Patrick’s College Silverstream rebounded strongly from defeats to Feilding High School (24-38) and Marlborough Boys’ College (7-17) to trounce St Bede’s College 55-24 in the annual fixture and Teddy Cooling scored the hosts’ nine tries with Davis adding four conversions and Fletcher Cooper a solitary success Silverstream enjoy a 31-13 advantage in the rivalry Wesley College scored a 33-28 win over Napier Boys’ High and Christ’s College beat St Pat’s Town 24-12 Rupeni Raviyawa and Tyrese Tane and three Nixon Foreman conversions earned Feilding High a 26-20 victory over Gisborne Boys’ High and Storm De Thier scored and Ruan Ludwig added a conversion and penalty Timaru Boys’ High beat Dunstan High 33-5 in their final pre-season game Wellington reader Richard Swan was among those who attended the Tauranga-Wellington game at Easter and was happy to confirm that Tauranga’s Tommy McQuoid was indeed outstanding at fullback For someone relatively small and never immediately tackled in drawing a comparison with Christian Cullen Swan also quite correctly pointed out that references to Tauranga having benefited from having the New Zealand Secondary School team’s starting halfback/first five combination of Charlie Sinton and Mason Verster in 2024 should also have included No 8 Aiden Spratley – something that made the college’s spine even more impressive last year And Swan not only noted that Spratley’s younger brother Cooper played openside against Wellington Phil Spratley was a Wellington College old boy who in 1999 went within 0.76s of running a four-minute mile Rotorua Boys’ High bounced back with a 41-29 win against St Peter’s (Cambridge) Rotorua have now headed to Australia for two matches The first is on Tuesday (April 29) at 3.40pm against Nudgee College This game will be livestreamed with a link shared on Rotorua’s Facebook page against TSS (The Southport School) at 10.30am Moana Pasifika coach Tana Umaga is a special guest at St Peter’s rugby community dinner at the college on Thursday May 1, with James McOnie and Melodie Robinson hosting; tickets $85. Meanwhile on Tuesday, May 20, 6pm, St John’s College (Hamilton) are hosting a rugby quiz at The Cook as a fundraiser for planned 2026 tour to South Africa – with entry $200 for a team of eight. As a further fundraiser, the pub is selling “St John’s Gold Lager”. # Readers are invited to send their first XV rugby updates, news snippets and hot takes to nzschoolboyrugby@gmail.com Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read. Liston College defeated Kelston Boys’ High 21-16 in a stunning upset. 20 May 2025 18:00549964m²VENDORS HAVE PURCHASED UNCONDITIONALLY!THIS PROPERTY IS A GENUINE MUST SELL Our Vendors have committed to moving south and there is No Plan B Ignore the current CV and all online valuations as this property will sell well below them This is an exceptional opportunity and represents real affordability for a residence of this calibre This home offers more than just a great family home it offers multi - generational living with their own entrance The living is something else with it's modern kitchen dining room and family room being the nucleus of the home where the family can gather and discuss their days activities especially in summer where you have superb access off the family room to a supersized deck to entertain family and friends whilst soaking in the calm and tranquil urban outlook through to Sky Tower Take advantage of this rare opportunity to purchase a 964 m2 mol parcel of land with a gigantic 400 m2 home (according to Property Guru) situated in this prime location A great feature of this home is the whole family can enjoy separation from the formal lounge with the additional outdoor sitting area through to the utility room downstairs complete with it's own bathroom which feeds through to the garaging which could possibly house up to five vehicles or any other toys you may like to house Last but not least - a vital feature of this home is the bar set up at the rear of the garage where you can admire your collection complete with a totara bar top to enjoy your favourite beverage There is also welcomed off street parking for either a motorhome or perhaps a boat Additional bonuses are Howick' s bustling village and Saturdays vibrant market are just a short distance away where you can indulge at your favourite eatery local shops as well as public transport is oh so close the Vendors want this property SOLD on Auction night the question is how much are you prepared to pay for it Make your move know and secure this premium property 14 May 2025 13:00314648m²Location - Land Size - Value - Must Sell @ AuctionAuction: 62 Highbrook Drive East Tamaki on Wednesday 14 May 2025 at 1:00PM (unless sold prior) Situated on a fully fenced 648 sqm (mol) freehold site this cozy and welcoming family home offers a single-level layout designed for effortless living and is a secure haven for both children and pets to play freely The sun-soaked lounge exudes a comforting warmth creating the perfect space for relaxation or entertaining you'll find yourself drawn to the expansive deck that basks in sunlight creating an ideal setting for hosting gatherings with loved ones The added convenience of single garaging and ample off-street parking enhances the practicality of this home Benefit from being in the coveted zone of top-rated schools ensuring quality education for your family this home offers a lifestyle of ease and accessibility Seize this incredible opportunity to make this inviting family home yours - pre-auction offers invited contact Mona to organise a private viewing See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson The operation targeted rental properties that were unwittingly being used to grow cannabis. (Source: NZ Police) Landlords are being warned to check who's renting their properties after police shut a cannabis operation that caused some homes to burn down. A Vietnamese organised crime ring operating in East Auckland had been targeting rental properties for a "illegal activity" including growing cannabis, said Senior Sergeant Al Grant, of Counties Manukau East Police. "These syndicates are operating across Auckland, significantly modifying rental properties to cultivate cannabis with extremely dangerous electrical installations," he said. "In some instances, this dodgy wiring has caused homes to burn to the ground, and it's extremely fortunate there has been no loss of life." Grant said 20 properties were used by the crime ring, some with fuses replaced. Thirteen kilograms of cannabis and 953 cannabis plants were destroyed by police following the operation. (Source: NZ Police) "Some of the fuses were so hot, an electrician could not touch them, and the wire had melted – they were ready to catch fire." "We'd estimate millions of dollars' worth of electricity is being stolen every year to run these operations overall." Nearly $300,000 worth of electricity had been stolen across the properties in the suburbs of Somerville, Botany Downs, Pakuranga and Ōtara. Thirteen kilograms of cannabis and 953 cannabis plants were destroyed by police following the operation. Grant said warrants executed by police and Ministry of Business Employment and Innovation (MBIE) were just the beginning with similar operations still ongoing by organised crime groups across Auckland. "These properties may seem innocent enough and do not really attract neighbours' attention. "Make no mistake, these syndicates are well connected to gangs and this cannabis is a large source of income for their illegal operations." Grant said in some cases those found looking after the rental properties had been deceived into coming to New Zealand with the promise of mployment. A Vietnamese organised crime ring operating in East Auckland had been targeting rental properties for a "raft of illegal activity". (Source: NZ Police) Once in New Zealand, they have been forced into illegal labour to repay their debt for travelling here, said Grant. Police uncover $15 million cannabis plots in rural AucklandAccording to police the sites were previously used as market gardens and the bust will hit organised crime in the pocket Crime and Justice Vietnamese crime syndicate: Landlords warned to check their propertiesUp to $25 million worth of cannabis and $100,000 in cash was seized following a three-month investigation into large-scale cannabis cultivations Multimillion-dollar Vietnamese crime syndicate busted in AucklandUp to $25m worth of cannabis and up to $100,000 in cash was seized as part of Operation Beryl MBIE's General Manager of Immigration Compliance and Investigations Steve Watson warned migrants to be aware of employment scams before coming to New Zealand. "Migrant workers need to be aware that if they are being asked to pay large amounts of money to an offshore agent to travel and work in New Zealand, it is highly likely that this is part of a fraudulent scam." Crooks culture first order of business for Mike Bush in Victoria Bush picked to take over as Victoria's chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes Police experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising Technology has outpaced a currently underway review of the Arms Act and criminals are already taking advantage US prisons bureau has challenges — reopening Alcatraz is now another Juliana Herrera's family tell inquest: 'Stop repeating avoidable mistakes' was murdered in January 2022 by her neighbour Health Arrest after person assaulted A nurse leaving her shift last month was held up at gunpoint outside the grounds of the hospital More than 25kg cocaine seizure leads to four arrests across NZ Tauranga and Auckland as a result of the six-week investigation Film industry anxiously awaits details on Trump's 100% movie tariff 53 mins ago 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 42 mins ago 1US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash 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 Police have uprooted a cannabis operation worth up to $15 million in parts of rural southern Auckland and nine Vietnamese nationals have been arrested Search warrants were executed at rural sites in Āwhitu Nine arrests were made so far under the police investigation named Operation Manta Ray Police counties Manukau south area investigations manager detective senior sergeant Simon Taylor said the illicit growing scheme was in former market gardens sites is likely one of the largest we have come across within the Counties Manukau Police district “This enforcement action has caused a considerable dent and there is no doubt this will have an impact on organised crime as a result.” Police were continuing to target illicit drug operations on commercial scales such as those identified this week “Large-scale cultivation of drugs is a large source of income for gangs and organised crime groups.” “We will continue to target such operations given they are funding organised criminal groups’ operations which in turn means harm continues to be imposed on our communities.” The numbers in Operation Manta Ray highlighted the scale of this particular group’s operation more than two tonnes of cannabis plant at varying maturity levels were located and mnre than 4300 plants were destroyed Detective Senior Sergeant Taylor said four Vietnamese nationals were arrested at Āwhitu and another five were arrested at the site in Glenbrook All those charged were men aged between 29 and 40 Six of those arrested faced charges of cultivating cannabis and were before the Pukekohe District Court Police have been working alongside Immigration New Zealand in relation to the remaining three arrested during the operation Taylor acknowledged the work of investigators attached to Counties Manukau South CIB “This week’s operation was also ably supported by our Organised Crime Unit communities staff based in Tuakau and Waiuku as well as other police resources from the region “We continue to encourage the community to continue providing us this information on any such concerns they may have,” said Taylor Landlords have been warned by police to keep an eye on activity at their rental properties after a "highly sophisticated" multimillion-dollar crime syndicate was busted in Auckland yesterday Up to $25 million worth of cannabis and $100,000 in cash was seized following a three-month investigation into large-scale cannabis cultivations involving Vietnamese nationals Ten people were arrested after police carried out 53 search warrants at addresses across the Auckland region as part of Operation Beryl a multi-agency investigation with the Ministry of Business Employment and Innovation (MBIE) and Immigration New Zealand (INZ) Forty-two significant cannabis crop grows were located at the homes with nearly 7000 plants and approximately 10kg of packaged cannabis seized The haul had a street value between $16m and $25m The syndicate was predominantly operating across the Waitematā and Counties Manukau police districts Police today said some of those facing charges were "forensically aware" wearing disposable gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints Waitematā Police Acting Detective Sergeant David Coombridge told 1News warned landlords to check on their properties "We would say that for every landlord it would pay to continue doing those three-monthly checks on their properties or whatever is in the tenancy agreement that they’ve got with their tenant for their house," he said Those arrested are expected to appear in the Waitākere North Shore and Counties Manukau district courts over the coming days MBIE general manager for Immigration Compliance and Investigations today confirmed to 1News 12 people will be deported this weekend through to Monday Three others will be "made liable for deportation" through the cancellation of their visas which will be processed in the coming weeks He said all of those being deported had been overstaying on expired visas with 10 on visitor visas and two on work category visas "They have been unlawfully in New Zealand or their visas have expired for some time Most of them are longer-term overstayers," Watson said Watson said organised criminals "will always find a way to breach systems" "I'm just very happy that we've been able to get ahead of this catch them and deport them from the country," he said Coombridge said further arrests and charges are likely 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 Eleven inmate deaths in less than two months A US$3 billion (NZ$5 billion) repair backlog a stunning directive from President Donald Trump for the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons to “REBUILD AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” — the notorious penitentiary on an island in San Francisco Bay that last held inmates more than 60 years ago Even as the Bureau of Prisons struggles with short staffing chronic violence and crumbling infrastructure at its current facilities Trump is counting on the agency to fulfill his vision of rebooting the infamously inescapable prison known in movies and pop culture as The Rock Trump declared in a social media post that a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” Alcatraz will house the nation’s “most ruthless and violent Offenders” Newly appointed Bureau of Prisons Director William K Marshall III said that the agency “will vigorously pursue all avenues to support and implement the President’s agenda” and that he has ordered “an immediate assessment to determine our needs and the next steps” We look forward to restoring this powerful symbol of law and justice,” Marshall said in a statement “We will be actively working with our law enforcement and other federal partners to reinstate this very important mission.” an 8.9-hectare spit of land with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline was once the crown jewel of the federal prison system and home to some of the nation’s most notorious criminals including gangsters Al Capone and George Machine Gun Kelly But skyrocketing repair and supply costs compelled the Justice Department to close the prison in 1963 and the Bureau of Prisons has long since replaced Alcatraz with modern penitentiaries including a maximum-security prison in Florence The former and perhaps future penitentiary is now a popular tourist attraction and a national historic landmark It’s controlled by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area meaning the Bureau of Prisons could be in for an interagency tug of war if it tries to wrest away control of the island Trump’s Alcatraz directive is yet another challenge for the Bureau of Prisons as it struggles to fix lingering problems while responding to the president’s priorities on incarceration and immigrant detention includes taking in thousands of immigration detainees under an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security The problems at the Bureau of Prisons transcend administrations and facilities An ongoing Associated Press investigation has uncovered deep previously unreported flaws within the Bureau of Prisons over the last few years including widespread criminal activity by employees and severe understaffing that has hampered responses to emergencies then-President Joe Biden signed a law strengthening oversight of the agency It remains the Justice Department’s largest agency 155,000 inmates and an annual budget of about US$8 billion (NZ$13.4 billion) but the Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures have eliminated some pay bonuses that were credited with retaining and attracting new staff That has resulted in long overtime shifts for some workers and the continued use of a policy known as augmentation teachers and other workers are pressed into duty to guard inmates A Bureau of Prisons official told Congress at a hearing in February that more than 4000 beds within the system — the equivalent of at least two full prisons — are unusable because of dangerous conditions like leaking or failing roofs a 37-year-old Florida businessman who was found dead April 28 in a suspected suicide at a federal jail in Miami He was awaiting trial on charges that he kidnapped and killed his estranged wife in Spain inmate Ramadhan Jaabir Justice was killed in a fight at the federal penitentiary in Pollock where he was serving a nearly 11-year sentence for a conviction related to an armed robbery As Trump was ordering Alcatraz’s reopening correctional officers at the same Miami jail were fighting to curb the spread of tuberculosis and Covid-19 isolating inmates after they tested positive for the diseases immigration detainees at the facility ripped out a fire sprinkler and flooded a holding cell during a lengthy intake process the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin has sat idle for more than a year after the Bureau of Prisons cleared it of inmates in the wake of rampant sexual abuse by employees the agency made the closure permanent and idled six prison camps across the country to address “significant challenges crumbling infrastructure and limited budgetary resources” While Trump hails Alcatraz as a paragon of the federal prison system’s cherished past other facilities stand as reminders of its recent troubles They include the federal jail in Manhattan which remains idle after Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide there in 2019 exposed deep flaws in its operations where 23 inmates have been charged in recent months with crimes ranging from smuggling weapons in a Doritos bag to the stabbing last month of a man convicted in the killing of hip-hop legend Jam Master Jay A person is in custody after an alleged theft which left a person injured on the grounds of Palmerston North Hospital Police said officers were called to a Ruahine St carpark about 1.30pm on Tuesday Police said the alleged offender left the scene and was found a short time later "Police would like to thank the members of the public who witnessed the incident and intervened to assist the victim," a police spokesperson said That same night a staff member was knocked unconscious Staff have been calling for security improvements Health NZ MidCentral operations group director Sarah Fenwick previously told RNZ it was committed to making staff feel safer She said these included a security escort to vehicles increasing security services on hospital grounds and "opening up" access to the staff carpark for people working afternoon and night shifts "Lighting has been audited in all outside carparking areas to ensure it is well maintained," she said "Interim access to well-lit parking onsite with dedicated security for staff working afternoon and night shifts while a more permanent solution for out-of-hours carparking is developed." rnz.co.nz More than 25kg of cocaine has been seized and four men arrested following an joint investigation into the importation of the drug into Christchurch Police and Customs received information about a "significant importation" of cocaine that had come through Lyttelton Port on March 29 Search warrants were then executed across the country by specialist teams to support investigators with evidence gathering including possession of cocaine for supply and burglary and will appear in various district courts across a range of dates Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Sparks said the seizure equated to more than 250,000 doses of cocaine and $9 million of harm "That is an enormous amount of damage and misery that had been heading into our communities that has now been halted through this investigation." Sparks said the success of the investigation was partly down to the "excellent partnership" between Customs and the police "We continue to have a focus on engaging with businesses and supporting their legitimate services by keeping them safe with prevention advice to deter drug trafficking organisations’ attempts to exploit their people and premises." Customs acting investigations manager Rachael Manning said the investigation resulted from quick action and close collaboration between the agencies as well as industry partners "We know that transnational and serious organised crime groups are actively targeting New Zealand to drive up both demand and supply of illegal drugs such as cocaine for maximum profit They’re using every method possible to exploit any vulnerabilities within international supply chains in secure areas or on vessels themselves." 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 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.” 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 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 Kiwi motorcyclist Shane Richardson is one of two riders who died in an 11-bike crash at a British Supersport Championship event was fatally injured alongside Englishman Owen Jenner on the first corner of the race at Oulton Park A statement from British Superbikes said the race was immediately stopped and trackside medical services deployed "Due to the extreme severity of the incident and ongoing medical intervention the remainder of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship event was cancelled," a spokesperson said "This catastrophic accident has tragically resulted in two riders being fatally injured and another sustaining significant injuries." Richardson was initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit's medical centre before he was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with "severe chest injuries" Jenner was also initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit medical centre where he died from a "catastrophic head injury" British rider Tom Tunstall suffered back and abdominal injuries and a further five riders including New Zealander Morgan McLaren-Wood were transferred to the circuit medical centre with minor injuries which did not require transfer to hospital Three more riders were also involved but were uninjured who was a previous New Zealand rider of the year Cemetery Circuit in Whanganui posted to its social media in tribute to Richardson a fantastic and talented racer and a genuine human" "Devastated to hear we have lost another of our racing family Our thoughts are with Hannah and the family along with our condolences to Owen’s family too." Richardson's sponsor Whites Powersports said the team was "extremely saddened" by the news of his death "Shane will be remembered by many as a great racer Our thoughts go out to Shane’s young family and friends during this tough time The New Zealand Superbike Championship said its "deepest sympathies" went out to Richardson's family and friends 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 Auckland's Botany Downs Secondary School has been evacuated after receiving a threat it considered credible after police inquiries it was decided the threat was a hoax and students were returning to class about 10am on Thursday Principal Karen Brinsden said all students staff and other people on site had been safely accounted for and the evacuation process had worked smoothly we have put in place actions moving forward and the police will increase external patrols around the school and local area over the next few days," she said The incident comes a day after another large Auckland college was evacuated due to a "threat to the school" Western Springs College students were released at 1.30pm on Wednesday police investigated and told staff the grounds were safe A Western Springs teacher said he had been told it was a bomb threat The school remained closed for the rest of the day Students at Western Springs were released "for their safety" on Wednesday afternoon New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News In our small corner of Auckland, it’s amazing to find young people making a difference. Harrison Eagle, head boy at Botany Downs Secondary College, felt as part of his leadership he should serve the community in some way. “There were lots of projects that I could get involved with and after contacting a few people I learnt about the Life Community Kitchens. “They serve 11 different communities across Auckland to help meet the needs of many people across the city,” explains Harrison. Harrison contacted the organisers of the Otara Life Community Kitchen, which feeds around 300 individuals weekly by providing hot meals. “The team works together to connect with families and young people. There are many small children who come with a family member. “The Otara Life Community Kitchen meets at Te Puke ō Tara Community Centre. “Otara Local Board have offered this venue every week for Life Community to use. “As I was able to serve and eat with the families that regularly attended, I built relationships and had a heart for the children that were there.” This kitchen is led by Angelica Lall and Andrew Lall. “They’re inspirational as they lead a team of volunteers every week, they serve others and make everyone feel loved,” says Harrison. “There are no barriers – people come to eat, connect and feel part of a community who cares.” Harrison heard about the kitchen’s Christmas project, which provides a special Christmas meal for over 900 people, as well as some gifts for the children. This event used to be sponsored but now the organisers rely on donations. “My heart was to ensure the children still got their ‘Christmas’ so I set about contacting a range of businesses to see if they could support this event in some small way.” The main goal was to raise $5000 to fund a Christmas event which will take place on Monday, December 9, for over 900 people. This money is for food for the event, as well as gifts and entertainment for the children. However, this was not easy. Harrison had to contact many businesses to ask for donations. He even contacted our local MP, Christopher Luxon. “We found it quite hard at first as many businesses are struggling themselves to meet margins and already support other charities. “We did however find some generous supporters from our local community here in Howick and Botany who we would like to acknowledge and thank.” The following businesses have donated to this fund: Gong Cha Botany, Muffin Break Botany Town Centre, Sanitarium, Monterey Cinema Howick, and Boardertown Botany. They contributed vouchers and donations which will either be given directly to families or used as prizes at the event. “The businesses that contributed expressed curiosity about helping a community beyond their immediate neighbourhoods, highlighting a broader desire to make a difference. “We’ve felt so privileged to connect up with many different people who show a heart for others and want to help.” The project is an amazing opportunity to bring people in our area together to make a big difference in the Otara community. “Our hearts are for the children, they find themselves in a place where through no fault of their own, they do not have enough to eat and Christmas is a time when we want to see smiles on their faces,” says Harrison. “Projects like this help the most vulnerable and bring love into our community.” People can support the project by donating money or buying toys to donate as Christmas gifts by. Email Angelica Lall at angelica.lall@lifenz.org. “It would be awesome if people in Howick and Botany would be able to support this event.” Harrison says. This fundraiser highlights just how important the Christmas spirit of giving is. The Times is published by Times Media, an independently-owned publishing company based in East Auckland, founded in 1972. Keep informed with the latest breaking news, sports, events & competitions. Our digital papers are emailed twice month on a Thursday. based on a borrower’s individual credit assessment.Canstar's Most Awarded Personal LoanGet a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started Botany Downs Secondary College was evacuated this morning due to a "threat" An East Auckland secondary school is increasing its police presence around the campus after an evacuation this morning Botany Downs Secondary College told students and parents to stay away from school after a threatening email was sent to staff A message on the school’s website from principal Karen Brinsden said police had established it was a hoax we have put in place actions moving forward and the police will increase external patrols around the school and local area over the next few days,” the message read Classes have resumed and Brinsden thanked students and staff for their co-operation A police spokesperson said nothing “untoward” was found and it’s believed “there is no credible threat” It comes a day after another Auckland school was evacuated after a student threatened a fellow student with a bomb Western Springs College yesterday dismissed all students at 1.30pm Principal Ivan Davis said the police bomb squad and dogs swept the building ”They found no evidence of a bomb and all is well “This is one of those things where we have to take all the precautions The threats come after a spate of threatening emails were sent to almost 100 schools, churches, hospitals and other public buildings over three weeks late last year. Schools around the country were closed and evacuated due to those threats. It’s understood police are yet to identify those responsible. At the time, police said they were confident the emails were from the same source and not targeted at any particular community or group. They did not believe there was any real threat to the organisations. Just before Christmas, police said they would no longer be providing information on non-specific mass email threats where there was no apparent risk to public safety. ”Threatening emails have caused significant and unnecessary concern to public services over the last month. ”In some recent cases, services have been disrupted due to needless evacuations. ”Police would continue to take all reported threats seriously and release information when necessary for public safety,” police said in a statement. An ambulance and rapid response vehicle are on-site. Manukau CityAsking Price $799,90021194m²Affordable first homeSituated in the heart of Botany Downs With modern finishes and a low-maintenance design it offers effortless living in a prime location The property boasts convenient single floor living and comprises: • Two spacious bedrooms that share a spacious and contemporary bathroom dining and living area that opens out to the sunny north facing deck • A rumpus room that could be used as a second lounge or third bedroom • The back gate gives you direct access to the Reserve • A short drive to Lloyd Elsmore Park and Pakuranga Golf Club Wendy and Lawrence look forward to welcoming you to the open homes I had the privilege of captaining the Botany Downs Secondary College (BDSC) First XI girls’ team this season. After a stellar 2023 season where we became A1 champions, we earned the right to compete in the premier division of college sports. Our squad of 18 was stronger than ever, but despite facing some unfortunate injuries, we finished mid-table. The pinnacle of our season came on September 2, when we took 16 players from our squad to compete in the 2024 Kathy Seaward Tournament. We entered the tournament full of excitement and confidence, knowing we had one of the strongest teams in recent years. After a series of dominant performances, we comfortably topped our pool. As we moved into the quarter-finals, the dream of winning the tournament felt closer than ever. A standout moment came when our youngest player, a year 9 student, scored within the first five seconds of the match, sparking a wave of enthusiasm throughout the team. We carried this energy into the semi-finals, where we delivered an 8-0 victory against Paraparaumu. Heading into the final was a whirlwind of emotions. After scoring first, One Tree Hill fought back, and we went into halftime tied 2-2. However, in the second half, our team’s strength, unity, and determination shone through as we pulled ahead, ultimately winning the final 5-2 to claim the title of 2024 Kathy Seaward Champions – a fitting conclusion to an incredible season. Beyond the tournament win, one of the highlights of my year was coaching the junior team. It’s a role that fills me with excitement for the future of football at BDSC. With no year 13 players graduating this year, the potential for even greater success in the seasons to come is immense. Botany Downs Secondary College in East Auckland said they were being supported by police after the online threat. Image / Facebook Police are investigating after a threat was made through a post to social media against an east Auckland school. Officers were at Botany Downs Secondary College on Friday last week and checked the grounds several times over the weekend. School management reassured the school community that the threat had been taken seriously and they would not hesitate to close the college if necessary. Police were aware of all events held at the school over the weekend and were visible with a “roving patrol” through the school grounds. School management said they were working with police and had been told there was no need to close the school at this time. “We continue to take our lead from police and they have not indicated that the school should be closed at this time,” a post to the college’s Facebook page read. “The police were onsite on Friday and visited the school periodically over the weekend to provide comfort and surety to the school community.” The threat comes after four schools and several early childhood centres in West Auckland were forced into lockdown two weeks ago. Four Te Atatū schools, including two primary schools, had been ordered into lockdown on 27 July as armed police swooped on the area near Rutherford College. The lockdowns came after a threatening phone call was made to Rutherford College. During the lockdown, the gates and entrances were locked and children were ordered to get under their desks and out of sight. Parents were asked not to come to the school and communication was via email or social media. Police are still investigating the Rutherford College incident. On the same morning as the threat was made to Rutherford College, Alfriston College in Manurewa was also placed in lockdown for about 30 minutes. Police said there was a report of a person with a gun in the wider Randwick Park area but that had not been substantiated. Manukau CityOffers over $899,000212140m²THE BEST OF BOTANY!!Come and discover this delightful 2 bedroom home in the heart of Botany Downs or individuals seeking to downsize without compromising on space or comfort This inviting home features generously sized bedrooms offering plenty of room for relaxation and personalisation Experience the ease of living in a spacious layout that encourages both entertaining and everyday comfort complemented by a double internal garage for added convenience The low maintenance garden allows you to enjoy a hassle free lifestyle giving you more time to explore the vibrant amenities in the area In zone for multiple Schools including Sancta Maria College Pakuranga college & Howick primary & intermediate Seize this incredible opportunity to secure a stylish and functional home in a sought after location For more information on this property or to schedule a private viewing contact Zahra Bakhshi 021 1919 488 or Krish Chand 021 0250 0926 This property is being sold either by auction or without a price and therefore a price guide can not be provided The property may have been filtered into price brackets for website functionality purposes only The contents of the Property Information material such as specified floor area and land area sizes have been obtained from sources such as Property Smarts Record of Title and Auckland Council (LIM) documentation They have not been independently measured by the marketing salesperson or City South Investments 2019 Ltd We recommend you complete your own due diligence and satisfy yourselves with respect to information supplied during the marketing of this property including but not limited to: the floor and land sizes Manukau CityPrice by negotiation424160m²Come Home to Relax in This Hidden Gem!Tastefully modernised and well maintained this spacious four bedroom weatherboard home sits on a half share of a 970sqm section Situated in a tranquil cul-de-sac of established homes this location is highly sought after - within close walking distance to local shops Half Moon Bay Marina and beautiful local beaches - making it an ideal choice for families seeking both lifestyle and connection Freshly painted inside and designed to maximise space and natural light the open plan living and dining area features high-stud wooden ceilings and seamless access to the expansive balcony with elevated urban views Imagine having a coffee on the deck in the morning sun overlooking the peaceful and beautiful adjacent reserve - a great way to start your day you'll find three well proportioned bedrooms and a stylish bathroom while the spacious master suite is privately positioned upstairs with an ensuite and even a hidden storage room for added practicality This level also includes a versatile cinema room or media space-complete with a projector screen and six cinema chairs Year round comfort is ensured with two heat pumps and bonus underfloor heating in the kitchen and dining areas The fully fenced backyard provides a safe and secure space for children and pets to play freely while the double internal access garage and ample driveway parking complete this fantastic package this charming home is sure to attract plenty of interest Don't miss out-call Maggie or Sophie for more information Manukau CityAsking price $1,279,000532302m²OPPORTUNITY OPPORTUNITYDue to the owner's personal circumstances this property MUST BE SOLD Nestled in the coveted golden circle of Botany Downs this exceptional 5-bedroom family home offers the perfect blend of comfort and tranquility With a tidy backyard set on a freehold section of approximately 302 sqm your privacy is assured at the end of your own private driveway This home features a convenient bedroom with its own ensuite located downstairs leading out to a charming deck that overlooks the serene reserve—ideal for enjoying the natural surroundings including the spacious master suite complete with its own ensuite Experience the beauty of the scenic Cascade walkway and bush reserve right at your back door where you can unwind and listen to the soothing sounds of local birdlife while relaxing on one of two lovely sunny decks There is also plenty of space underneath the house for all your storage needs providing added convenience and practicality this location boasts easy access to local parks Lloyd Elsemore Pool Park and Leisure Centre and the newly developed Highland Park shopping centre Don’t miss the opportunity to make this beautiful family home your own See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson Seriously For Sale!The Vendor has already purchased This necessitates a sooner settlement rather than a later settlement This home offers real affordability and will appeal to young families wishing to have there children in zone for Botany Downs Primary School There's no need for Mum and Dad to waste time driving them to school as the walk is just a few minutes away to a safe pedestrian crossing The upstairs of this family home comes complete with a kitchen a cosy fire for those chilly bleak winter nights to hunker down to The lower level consists of a separate laundry Your going to love entertaining family and friends as the lounge opens out to a great private outdoor entertaining area where you can cook up a storm on your BBQ An additional family bonus with this home is it's section making it ideal for kiddies to play as the section is flat and fully fenced allowing space for a trampoline or swing set making it a child's dream local shops on the corner of Mirrabooka and Botany Road Howick's Bustling Village and Saturdays vibrant market along with your favourite restaurants and cafes to enjoy your most desired pleasure {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2024/03/14/botany-downs-secondary-college-students-return-after-evacuation/"},"datePublished":"2024-03-13T21:47:40.75Z","dateModified":"2024-03-13T21:47:40.75Z","headline":"Botany Downs Secondary College students return after evacuation","description":"Staff and students were made to evacuate after threats were made to the school the school said it received a threat which was treated as credible so they evacuated campus and consulted with police who "took all reasonable steps to establish it as a hoax" Principal Karen Brinsden said: "As a precaution we have put in place actions moving forward and the police will increase external patrols around the school and local area over the next few days "Following police advice that the threat was not credible; school is returning to class "We have completed our evacuation process and all students staff and persons on-site are safely accounted for Everyone did extremely well and responded to instructions." A police spokesperson told 1News this morning: "Police are investigating after an email of a concerning nature was sent to staff at Botany Downs Secondary College "We were notified of the incident at around 8.12am this morning the school self-initiated an evacuation as a precaution "Police attended the school and found nothing untoward "We would like to reassure the public that we believe there is no credible threat "There will be a Police presence at the school today for reassurance purposes." It comes after Western Springs College students were evacuated yesterday The Herald reported that Principal Ivan Davies said "They [police] found no evidence of a bomb and all is well Botany Downs Secondary College (Source: Google Maps) Staff and students at Botany Downs Secondary College have returned to class after being evacuated this morning The Herald reported that Principal Ivan Davies said "They [police] found no evidence of a bomb and all is well. “This is one of those things where we have to take all the precautions, because if you don’t you risk a lot.” 54 mins ago 43 mins ago It was an all-east Auckland match-up in the 1st XV 1B final at the weekend as Howick College made the short trip to face rivals Botany Downs Secondary College (BDSC) BDSC went into the match having only lost one game the entire season The hosts left little to imagination as to why they were top of the table After 70 minutes of top-class schoolboy rugby BDSC reigned 1st XV 1B champions with a scoreline of 23-7 Like what you see? Our photos are available to buy. Click here to buy photos National leader Christopher Luxon says he offered to help a leaking school in his Botany electorate Botany Downs Secondary College's roofs have been leaking for years Repairs promised by the government four years ago are not due to start till next winter. "I have offered to meet with the principal and to write to the Ministry of Education," Luxon told RNZ [principal] Karen [Brinsden] wrote to my electorate office explaining that the school had received positive news from the ministry that there was funding to resolve the school's issues "She thanked us for the support and indicated that if the steps outlined by the ministry to resolve the issues did not eventuate the board may seek my support once again." Brinsden confirmed to RNZ that this is what had occurred The high school has experienced leaks falling on students' heads in the four years since Labour's Chris Hipkins announced a repair programme during the time he was Education Minister It was not just the too-small gutters overflowing and roofs leaking across the campus "The water that gets into the ceiling areas with ceiling tiles that are dropping to the floor," Brinsden said "We've just been very fortunate that there's nobody injured at any time that that's happened." An Auckland high school where leaks have been falling on students' heads for years is among those that have undergone a review into building project problems School principals hope a new set of off-the-shelf classroom designs will eliminate frustrating delays in building new rooms Schools are dealing with at least 550 leak-prone buildings a decade on from when a programme to fix them was begun How does a school with the population of Eketāhuna end up discombobulated by rotting classrooms Education Minister Chris Hipkins has defended the ministry's handling of serious problems that forced Hutt Valley High School to close an entire block of classrooms Politics RSS Manukau CityAsking price $1,289,000523399m²Motivated Vendor- Act Fast Before It’s Gone!Discover your ideal home in this spacious five-bedroom two-bathroom freehold property with a flexible floorplan that meets a variety of lifestyle needs you'll find two bedrooms and a bathroom with separate access This level also caters seamlessly to those needing a dedicated home office or workspace alongside a modern tiled bathroom and a separate toilet The master bedroom features a double wardrobe and custom storage solutions ensuring ample space for personal belongings Enjoy effortless indoor-outdoor living with a gourmet kitchen and open-plan living space that flow onto timber decking offering city views as well as a spacious front yard complete with a relaxing spa pool—an ideal retreat for unwinding after a busy day Practicality meets convenience with double garaging providing ample storage complementing the property's versatile living areas Located in a family-friendly neighbourhood this home is within the zones of Owairoa Primary Nearby amenities include Howick Village and Botany Town Centre ensuring all your shopping and entertainment needs are easily met and nearby bus stops further enhance the convenience of this location Explore the possibilities with this versatile property—whether you're accommodating extended family Don't miss out—schedule your viewing today and make this your new home See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson Botany Downs Secondary College beat Tangaroa College in a promotion/relegation decider Auckland’s 1A First XV rugby championship has a proud new entrant this season in the form of Botany Downs Secondary College - and out in East Tāmaki they’re already talking of it being “a legacy year” for a school that only opened in 2004 head coach Logan Fui was quick to pay tribute to the many players coaches and parents from past years who had paved the way for where his team is now reflecting on how in 2020 Botany Downs had last gone close but were unsuccessful at the promotion-relegation stage but more importantly for our young people to strive towards excellence and continue their drive within their chosen sport,” Fui said “We know it’s a tough competition at the elite level but we are going to give our best as this is an opportunity most schools work for over many years and we understand the blessing this brings for our young people with more experience and exposure at the next level of competition.” who has been at the helm since the college’s inception “I’ve always believed that it was not ‘if’ we could reach 1A but ‘when’,” she said “From our first 1B final at Eden Park in August 2017 taking one game day at a time and building from season to season “I am immensely proud of our young men who meticulously prepared ahead of the season and left no stone unturned Their victory in the promotion-relegation game was a testament to their hard work and the culture and dedication of our coaching team.” The promotion match was a physical contest played at a fast pace After Tangaroa had the majority of territory in the first 15 minutes who was wearing the college’s No 1 tribute jersey (for Damian Fui-Tiatia Lock Aiden Finefeuiaki and flanker Jacob Clarke also scored before halftime there were tries to second five-eighths Connor Bowden - who was wearing No 23 after Botany rested the No 12 jersey in memory of Cory Heather who had died from a head knock while playing for Beachlands Maraetai a week earlier - and Ryan Collett “I believe this team has been a gift to so many over the years,” he said and who we see at the start of the journey is not who we see at the end of it.” And he also mused on first XV rugby as being a vehicle which brought a sense of vulnerability to players “It strips them down to their core purpose and adds various elements we are actually building a more resilient person in the process.” Botany host De La Salle College in the first round of 1A on Saturday something that will be a much sterner test Dilworth retained their 1A status with a 35-10 promotion-relegation win over Howick College There is an old adage among stage actors that a bad final dress rehearsal foreshadows a great opening season performance and Mt Albert Grammar must be desperately hoping the same applies in Auckland 1A First XV rugby the school they were originally a subsidiary of away in the opening round of the 1A championship - after a dress rehearsal in which they travelled to Hamilton Boys’ High School on Saturday only to get walloped 48-0 on one of the back fields Hamilton outplayed Mt Albert in all departments - and with a team still building and not scheduled for their own regular-season competition for another month Perhaps the only mitigating factors from a Mt Albert perspective were that a number of their players were freshly back from several days of school camp while Hamilton inflicted a similar thrashing on Auckland Grammar last year - but it didn’t prevent them later staging a thrilling revival to come from behind and beat Mt Albert 28-25 Mt Albert are this season coached by the highly experienced Charlie MacAlister they snared three 1A titles and the 2010 national crown Mt Albert beat Whangārei Boys’ High School 19-10 In pre-season Auckland Grammar beat Palmerston North Boys’ High 31-7 but were beaten 22-15 by Rotorua Boys’ High before then overcoming Tauranga Boys’ College 12-7 Hamilton Boys’ will play Auckland Grammar in Hamilton on Wednesday May 29 Defending 1A champions Sacred Heart host Kelston Boys High having lost a lot of their title-winning firepower from 2023 though were still able to easily beat St Paul’s College 40-10 in their final pre-season game on Saturday as has star first five Rico Simpson (now in the New Zealand Under-20s) But they still have a match-winner in Cohen Norrie who could best be described as Sacred Heart’s answer to Damian McKenzie Norrie will be shifted from fullback to first five in order to more directly influence matches St Kentigern’s hosting of St Peter’s should be a cracker St Kents are fresh from another Presbyterian quadrangular tournament win but were beaten 28-26 by Hastings Boys’ High School last month St Peters claimed the scalp of Blues region champs Westlake to earn the pre-season Hugh McGahan Cup having earlier beaten Hamilton’s St John’s College 45-0 they were rolled 31-27 by St Thomas of Canterbury and at the weekend lost 12-18 to Rotorua Boys’ High School Players to watch for at St Peter’s are flanker Joe-Jarvis Tuuga halfback Matt Harris and first five Louie Kishimoto who captained St Peter’s to the national title in 2000 and went on to play for Bay of Plenty has taken over as the college’s director of rugby this year with Dave Thomas having stepped down after seven years at the helm Mark Wilson is the new First XV coach with Matt Skeen and Matt Johnson continuing as assistants Saint Kentigern v St Peters; Auckland Grammar v Mt Albert Grammar; Sacred Heart v Kelston Boys’ High; St Pauls v Dilworth; King’s College v Liston College; Botany Downs v De La Salle North Harbour and Blues champions Westlake Boys’ High School picked up from where they left off last season with a 44-10 win over Massey High School in front of a crowd of about 500 Westlake have retained their traditional game plan of high mobility quickly spinning the ball wide and playing at pace but their standout player was prop Alex Vaaia built like a flanker but with the impact of a wrecking ball and it probably won’t be long before somebody from the NRL comes knocking for him Massey are in a rebuilding phase and gave it everything but there wasn’t a lot of structure to their game They were starved of ball and Westlake were able to clear their bench at halftime Massey did manage two tries out side from defensive lapses and that’s something Westlake will need to be conscious of in this Saturday’s home derby against Rosmini who were just pipped 32-34 by Whangārei Boys’ High School Mahurangi College beat Takapuna Grammar 16-5 and Rangitoto were 24-5 victors over Manurewa Rangitoto v Mahurangi; Whangārei v Takapuna; Massey v Manurewa The eagerly anticipated clash between Palmerston North Boys’ High School and Feilding High School attracted a bigger crowd than the 2023 Hankins Shield senior final and the largest attendance seen at any rugby match in Manawatū since the Hurricanes-Rebels Super Rugby Pacific fixture on March 22 Palmerston North underscored their strong credentials with a resounding 36-22 victory though Feilding started with gusto until a huge hit from Tevita Fakahau defused a promising attack Hunter Kennedy outpaced the defence from 60 metres Palmerston North were able to dominate field position with astute tactical kicking and from another Feilding turnover Jamie Viljoen darted over from an ensuing scrum Feilding went to the sheds with fleeting optimism when James Tuituba broke through following a string of penalties Palmerston North snaffled a turnover early in the second spell and Kennedy scored a second from a choreographed scrum move Feilding’s Peni Havea collected a charged-down kick to make it 24-12 but when Feilding failed to regain the restart Kruiz Ioane galloped 20 metres before being dragged down just short Viljoen went even closer before Fakahau muscled over Feilding had no chance of winning but wouldn’t surrender meekly Their final try to Dan Maisiri was an 80m finish from a fullback familiar to representative selectors Bradley Tocker; Jamie Viljoen 4 con 1 pen) In other Tranzit Coachlines First XV fixtures St Patrick’s Silverstream were the only Wellington school to score points in foiling Napier Boys’ High School 26-12 and Thompson Tukapua scored tries for a Silverstream side that had control of proceedings until the last 20 minutes Hastings Boys’ High School downed Wellington College 27-0 while Hutt International Boys’ School (Hibs) was whitewashed 32-0 by Gisborne Boys’ High School in their Tranzit Coachlines Festival debut fixture Hibs made the semifinals of the Wellington Premiership for the first time since opening in 1991 last year and bravely held Gisborne to 10-0 at halftime Meanwhile College Sport Wellington (CSW) contacted the Herald to clarify that Wellington champions Scots College withdrew from the pre-season festival on their own accord and no CSW-sanctioned penalty was imposed for their reserves dispute with Feilding High School in the Hurricanes Regional semifinal last year A recent fixture between Scots and Whanganui Collegiate fell through when Whanganui was unable to play Round 2 Festival Fixtures: Gisborne Boys’ High 11.30am Saturday: Gisborne v St Pats Silverstream; Napier v Wellington Southland Boys High School finished fourth in the Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament in Japan last week having been invited to represent New Zealand at the 16-team tourney after winning the National Top Four in 2023 Southland won all three (50-minute) group games against Kokugakain University Tochigi High School (Japan) 39-24 and American side Jesuit High School (73-0) But unfortunately they were left to rue a slow start in their 17-24 semifinal loss to Japanese college Osaka Toin High School who opened the semifinal scoring after just three minutes with a try and by the 15-minute mark were ahead 17-0 Sohthland captain Taine Withy - playing at second five-eighths - scored from a pick and go late in the first half to make 17-7 at halftime and his team were level after 45 minutes Rampaging hooker Jake Evans scored a brilliant try First five Mika Muliana kicked the conversion from out wide to make it 17-14 and then added a penalty Osaka Toin High School proved stubborn opponents though and scored a third converted try to lead 24-17 with 10 minutes to play Southland emptied their barrels with Jimmy Taylor to the fore Osaka were resolute and would go on to win the final 17-15 against Tion Gauken High School Southland were beaten by Sydney outfit St Augustine’s College Despite a brace of tries by prop Presley McHugh St Augustine’s pulled clear midway through the second half with two tries when leading 19-14 Schools from 20 different counties have now competed in the tournament since it started in 2000 Christchurch Boys’ High and St Kentigern College have won previous tournaments Irish centurion and British and Irish Lions first five Johnny Sexton (124 Tests 81 wins) is the most famous player to have taken part Meanwhile National Top Four girls winners Manukura competed in a sevens tournament in Japan and finished fourth The Palmerston North-based school side were in commanding form in pool play Thailand’s Rajaprajanugrogh 66 received a 60-0 hiding Manukura came unstuck to Fukuoka RFC 5-17 in the next round which ruled them out of championship contention the tour was an epic experience for the girls Highlights included visits to Osaka Castle foreign cuisine and an audience with alumni student Nia Sutherland and former teacher and Black Fern Janna Vaughan who plays professionally for the Mie Pearls She also played sevens and league for New Zealand and is an accomplished Muay Thai fighter Christchurch Boys’ High School and Nelson College will headline the opening round of the Myles Toyota Premiership on May 18 which features the same 10 teams as 2023 contesting a single round-robin before semis and an August final Christchurch and Nelson have won 16 championships since the inception of the competition in 2001 and last year they contested a thrilling decider Nelson have retained more players than Christchurch Jono Phillips will coach Nelson for the last time pursuing a fourth championship in six seasons Colossal props Samuela Takapu and Oliver Kirk will anchor the front row while Crusaders Under-18 reps Kobe Brownlee and Saumaki Saumaki provide strength across the back row Oliver Gibbons and Harrison Inch are an experienced duo at halfback and first five Nelson toured Wellington to start 2024 and defeated New Plymouth BHS (33-22) but succumbed to St Pats Silverstream (15-33) Defending champions Christchurch toured Queensland and played the Southport School in four 20-minute periods and then split matches against Nudgee College (21-31) and Brisbane Boys’ College (31-28) St Thomas of Canterbury College will be ones to watch in 2024 they have beaten Shirley Boys’ High School (40-20) Otago Boys’ High School (26-22) and Kings’ High School Readers are invited to send their first XV rugby updates, news snippets and hot takes to nzschoolboyrugby@gmail.com Liston College defeated Kelston Boys’ High 21-16 in a stunning upset Waiuku College students sat PISA tests online (above); now Botany Downs Secondary College students are rebelling against having to sit a science test digitally Students at a South Auckland high school have started a petition against having to sit an exam online - a move which will force some of them to buy new laptops A petition against the digital science exam on the website Change.org has already been signed by 75 students at decile-9 Botany Downs Secondary College Organiser Chloe Yip says students studying science for Level 1 of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) were only told by email last week that they would have to sit a test exam digitally on September 14 there was absolutely no prior notice," she says on the website Another student told the Herald by email that the exam would force her to buy a new laptop because her existing laptop needed charging every two hours and the college would not allow chargers in the exam "I bought my new laptop at the start of Year 9 ready for college It met the requirements of [at least five hours] battery life and 13-inch screen and that it could be supported by Office 365 since Year 9 this laptop has started to derail off its expectations only proving two hours of battery life and becoming slower and slower in process." "I had to flick through each slide till I found the right one and waited and waited for it to load This caused me a loss of time and my NA [Not Achieved] grade." "Was this a big scam for me to spend my money AGAIN?" the student asked "A little too dramatic I suppose but it underlines the fact that does my school really want me to get another one just to meet the requirements for one exam "In an email sent by the head of Level 1 Science he states that NO chargers are allowed as it's not possible to supply power outlets for all 450 students as well as an expectation of our laptops having five-plus hours battery life." The student said some subjects were suited to online exams "The subject of science would be harder to do online due to the handling of graphs and equations which are quicker and easier to do by hand," she wrote Yip says on the petition website that sitting the test digitally will be "a disadvantage to the less privileged students compared to the students who grew up learning how to type and use computers" they should at least provide aid for underprivileged students but I have not seen any after-school clubs or advertisements teaching them how to type," she says She says the test is likely to be on a platform called Education Perfect which she says allows students to copy their work on a clipboard and pass it to other students who will sit the test later it would be a huge disadvantage to those who sat the examination first It would be a better idea if the platform were to fix such problems before the school actually start using the tool to assess their students," she writes She also says it's "baffling" that students have to sit the September "practice test" digitally but will then sit their end-of-year NCEA exams on paper "The inconsistency of the two exams [is] baffling and making us complete our exams online defeats half of the purpose why there are practice exams in the first place," she says The NZ Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has introduced the digital mid-year Level 1 science test for the first time this year as part of a series of trials aimed at making all NCEA exams available online by 2020 Deputy chief executive Kristine Kilkelly said the authority was in touch with Botany Downs Secondary College to ensure it had the resources and support it needed for the trial "NZQA wants to ensure we support our young people to have the skills they will need to succeed as part of a global workforce Part of this work is our digital trial and pilot examinations "Many schools are already using digital technology in nearly every aspect of their teaching and learning It makes sense that students should be assessed with technology they are familiar with." She said previous digital tests have replicated traditional paper-based exam but the new science test "uses videos and animations which students can control and play as often as needed" "Questions are also answered with a mixture of text responses drag and drop features and using a formula editor," she said "Student results from NZQA's digital trials do not count towards NCEA They are an important opportunity for schools to test how ready they are for online examinations and for students to experience assessment in a digital format we will evaluate the digital science trial in relation to how effective the features are in supporting the students' ability to understand and respond to the task "We work alongside schools throughout the year to ensure they are prepared schools and students are able to opt in and opt out as they feel comfortable." NZQA says 6199 students from 97 schools participated in the digital trial tests last year, and 4226 students from 54 schools sat pilot digital exams which counted towards NCEA almost three quarters of NZ secondary schools and around 30,000 students have sat at least one online exam "Our recent evaluation of the 2017 digital trials and pilots show that we are on the right track, with close to 100 per cent of students indicating they preferred doing an online examination rather than written examinations," Kilkelly said. Botany Downs Secondary College principal Karen Brinsden said students would be able to sit a paper-based test if they experienced any "challenges" with the digital test. "During the exam students will have access to school devices, should they not have access to one or if theirs currently does not meet the requirements for the online digital assessment," she said. She said the college had already been involved in digital trials for other subjects, such as maths and media, and had not experienced any problems with students taking a long time to load pages on their laptops. She said the trial test would use the NZQA website, not Education Perfect software. Asked whether digital exams would disadvantage students with poor typing skills, she said: "Quite possibly, however we are being proactive in preparing our students to ensure they are ready for when NZQA moves to have the majority of subject based assessments online which they hope to do by 2020." Botany Downs Secondary College went into lockdown this morning Another Auckland school was put into lockdown this morning the third incident of its type in as many days Botany Downs Secondary College went into lockdown about 9.15am today after a vehicle being pursued by police was dumped by its occupants in a school car park The school remained locked down as police hunted and arrested the vehicle's occupants The lockdown was lifted about 20 minutes later The incident comes after Kelston Boys High School Kelston Intermediate School and St Leonards Rd School all went into lockdown shortly after 2pm yesterday Police were armed and by 6pm had found the person they were looking for St Leonards Rd School was also put in lockdown this week Brinsden said they were notified of this morning's incident immediately by police and their lockdown procedures kicked in which included notifying parents by text message "The police were in pursuit of a car that came onto our campus and the occupants abandoned the car in the back car park and we were notified by police and placed into lockdown "Staff and students all followed the appropriate procedures following the announcement We sent out a text message to parents to alert them of the situation." The school was currently in the midst of its award ceremonies this week but all students were safe as they were in class at the time the incident happened We're really pleased with the way the police responded and our staff and students responded to ensure the safety of all "Parents were assured that everyone was safe in the text message that went out." The lockdown was lifted after about 20 minutes Brinsden said she wasn't sure of the exact movements of the car's occupants at their school but she imagined police were hot on their heels "It appeared to be quite a low risk but we were put into the right procedures to ensure the safety of all." Given all students had their phones with them at school she said the school was keen to message parents early on to ensure the correct information was being distributed An ambulance and rapid response vehicle are on-site TWN is being produced by AUT journalism students working under Covid19 pandemic restrictions An East Auckland teacher has launched a pre-loved gown initiative to combat expensive ball costs for East and South Auckland Students Botany Downs Secondary College teacher Tina Clapperton recognised the high costs involved in attending a school ball and decided to hold a free event: Shine Again Clapperton initially thought of the idea when she cleared out her wardrobe and came across four ballgowns “I took to the [East Auckland] grapevine and posted up asking if anyone wants them for their daughter’s ball or if anyone knows someone who collects ball dresses that I could pass them on to “By the end of the night people were commenting back on the post saying if you find anyone who is collecting let us know as we have dresses to give away too and I thought ‘hey there could be something in this.’” Clapperton contacted local schools and Facebook groups for donations and got help from colleagues and students to bring the event to life the dance teacher provided the room so there were mirrors and the uniform shop provided the changing tents.” The community donated 334 ball gowns and 30 suits covering a wide range of sizes Clapperton estimates the value of the donations at $80,000 Students were invited to the two-day event at Botany Downs Secondary College this past weekend to select one ball outfit and take it for free “Mums are saying they’re just so appreciative because they can’t afford it and they don’t know where to go and look for them “Here they’ve got over 300 [gowns] their daughters can look through and find what they like.” A Botany Downs Secondary College student volunteer said it has been great to see students from all over coming through and it makes it so much easier to go to [the] ball.” Clapperton saw a real boost in self-confidence among the students we all stop to see and comment on how stunning they look.” Botany Downs Secondary College learning support teacher Donna enjoyed the happy atmosphere “It's so nice when they come out with a big smile and are feeling so proud of themselves Clapperton said after the event is finished she will package any leftover dresses and offer them to the local schools “They can keep them in a cupboard so if something happens closer to their ball and a student’s dress falls through Watch this video to see more of the pre-loved ball attire at Tina Clapperton’s Shine Again event https://youtu.be/7fMhcAnErIE Oceania football rides the crest of a new World Cup wave Kiwi chains join matcha trend, could worsen shortages in Japan Improving student life in Auckland all part of council masterplan Disclaimer: Views expressed on TWN are those of the editorial team and contributors and not of the university Botany Downs Secondary College [BDSC] has unseated favourites Macleans College to win the East Auckland Secondary Interschool Chess Championship Both teams have qualified to the national chess championships in September a year 13 student from BDSC and leader of the BDSC Chess Club was in the team that came to “dethrone the reigning champions Macleans College” “I understand their reign lasted for seven years since the inception of the tournament.” on June 1 at Bucklands Beach Intermediate School ,featured 21 teams from various schools in the east Auckland area “This win is quite sentimental and poignant to us because this is only Botany’s second year competing in the tournament,” said Little and tears – literal tears from me – organising to go to this tournament it was worth it because Botany doubled its turnout from last year “Most importantly we managed to pull off an upset winning the tournament and qualifying for nationals in September “My late pop (grandfather) taught me how to play at 7; I tear up thinking about how proud he would be of me you can succeed even against insurmountable odds “The game of chess is very dear to my heart I would love it if we could encourage more students and the general public to play more; it’s a great game which should not only be played by older gentlemen and prestigious private schools; it should be a game for everyone vice president of the New Zealand Chess Federation was involved in helping to organise the tournament “It and it was great to see a record number (40) of intermediate and secondary school teams Overall organiser was Howick club member Allan Han who is a year 13 student at Macleans College of which Spiller is life member and secretary assisted with providing equipment and manpower This week the club is hosting an even bigger primary school’s tournament at Point View Primary School with 56 teams and around 230 children Overall organiser for this event is former NZ Women’s Champion Winnie Ong assisted by Howick Pakuranga Chess Club members East Auckland Secondary Interschool Chess Championship 1 Botany Downs A; 2 Macleans A; 3 Saint Kentigern A; 4 Pakuranga A East Auckland Intermediate Interschool Chess Championship 1 Somerville A; 2 Bucklands Beach A; 3 Kings A Although rabbits have been a pest in New Zealand since they were introduced more than 150 years ago cute little bunnies are perennially popular with children But what happens when the kids get bored with them A rabbit rescuer based in the Auckland suburb of Botany Downs who has accumulated a vet bill of $10,000 says change is needed to protect rabbits Raining Rabbits Rescue founder Jojo Nally saved bunnies left in derelict conditions and took them to the vet to get them fixed up "I can't sleep at night if I know that there's rabbits that I haven't helped," Nally said her charity had taken in more than 200 rabbits - many severely neglected by breeders or owners or dumped on the roadside where they were easy prey for feral cats When it came to the mistreatment of rabbits who was tied up by her neck out on a property that wasn't fully fenced and at night-time she was being put in a freezer-box "That's what horror stories are made of for rabbits." She and her team of 60 volunteers took care of the rabbits until they were ready for adoption Since Nally took her first bunny into CareVets Mt Wellington during lockdown last year her charity had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on vet bills While she had a good relationship with the vets Raining Rabbits currently had an outstanding bill of about $10,000 meaning CareVets had to put a pause on treatments Nally said the clinic could not continue treating the rabbits until that bill had at least halved CareVets' Dr Kezia Lockhart said that as a charity Raining Rabbits was given some leniency on payments we still need to pay for the drugs and everything involved." Dr Lockhart said rabbits were some of the most neglected pets she saw as a vet People had serious misunderstandings about how to care for pet rabbits including the amount of space they required often they're put in a kind of hutch that you can buy from the pet shop." Dr Lockhart said rabbits were social creatures and needed a fenced-off area with room to run around and 'binky' [a jump-and-twist typical of happy bunnies] There was a misconception that rabbits were cheap pets but specific medications and equipment meant they could be more expensive than dogs or cats Rabbits could live a lot longer than people realised - 10-14 years for a well-kept rabbit children get bored of them and then parents don't know what to do with them." Raining Rabbits Rescue had a Givealittle page that had raised more than $6000 so far with all proceeds paying off the vet bills Nally was grateful to those who had helped to keep the charity afloat but said more could be done to protect bunnies in the first place She said a code of welfare for rabbits could go a long way towards ending their mistreatment - hopefully meaning fewer ended up on her doorstep SPCA scientific officer Alison Vaughan said while rabbits were often thought of as easy pets Although there was no current code of welfare for rabbits the SPCA science team had submitted a draft code to the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee for consideration Vaughan said the SPCA was concerned about New Zealand's oversupply of companion animals uncontrolled breeding of companion animals is an important contributing factor in creating New Zealand's widespread stray and unwanted animal problems which leads to negative welfare impacts and negative impacts on the environment." See terms of use for easy access to all your favourite programmes A construction company has been ordered to pay $13.4 million to fix a raft of errors at a leaky Botany Downs Secondary College in Auckland was built in stages by Hawkins in the 2000s It has almost 2000 pupils and more than 100 teachers H Construction North Island - formerly called Hawkins Construction North Island - was liable to pay the Ministry of Education the sum of $13.4m for the shoddy construction The judgment said the ministry and the school board claimed nine buildings leaked and the estimated repair bill was $17m They also claimed there was a badly built gym floor and there were regular problems with gutters pop-up roofing and inadequate ground clearance Hawkins accepted there was poor workmanship but submitted the college was up to code The company's lawyer claimed water-blasting by the school may have caused the damage but the court described this claim as "unsatisfactory" and no water-blaster was called to testify said it was surprised by the judgment and would reflect on it before commenting further Justice Mathew Downs said the repairs were likely to take about two years and require temporary accommodation while the buildings were quarantined during work "The roofs leak because they suffer a host of construction defects including missing fixings and poorly formed penetrations Nothing the plaintiffs did or did not do causes them to leak," he said but Hawkins was paid approximately $28 million to build the school; pupils and teachers have not had the benefit of healthy code-compliant buildings for eight years and the award reflects the amount necessary to repair the school College principal Karen Brinsden told the court about "constant" and "extensive leaking" Buckets were used to collect rainwater in classrooms and there were regular leaks and flooding and the school have been contacted for comment and there will be major redevelopment programmes at schools in Wellington and Auckland The government is open to settlement of its leaky schools case after the Supreme Court ruled against Carter Holt Harvey The government is putting $14 million into the redevelopment of an Auckland school that has had years of chronic problems with mould and asbestos Some of New Zealand's newest schools have faults that make them noisy More footage has emerged of the dirt bike riders who rode through parts of Auckland over the weekend. Photo / File Reckless behaviour by a group of more than 100 off-road dirt bikers in the East Auckland suburb of Botany Downs has prompted a police appeal for information. Police said they are aware of road users causing concern in the Botany area today. This follows a resident filming an incident in the South Auckland suburb where more than 100 riders were doing wheelies and some swerved into the opposite lane. “I’ve seen this before, where lots of people on dirt bikes go through the streets, doing wheelies and such, [with] no helmets or protection... but I’ve never seen this many before. They just kept coming. “There were even a few people on [quad bikes] this time; I’d never seen that before,” a resident told 1News. The man said he had seen groups of dirt bike riders getting together over summer and on holidays such as Christmas, and figured they organised again for Easter Sunday. Two years ago, eight dirt, road and quad bikes were seized as police vowed to crack down on illegal riding, fearing deaths are “only a matter of time”. Counties Manukau police feared the upsurge of illegal dirt bike riding and dangerous stunts on the region’s roads is putting lives at risk. Dozens of bikers took over the streets of Auckland on New Year’s Eve in 2021, executing dangerous manoeuvres and damaging a police patrol car. The stunts were considered so dangerous, police chose not to intervene. Videos sent to the Herald showed the motorcyclists performing wheelies, burning rubber and spinning their bikes dangerously. In another video filmed at Hollyford Drive in Manukau on the same night, the bikers could be seen riding on the footpath, with police trailing alongside on the road with their sirens going. In the latest case in Botany Downs, police want anyone with information, video or photographs identifying those involved to contact them on 105 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. An Auckland high school where leaks have been falling on students' heads in the four years since Labour's Chris Hipkins announced a repair programme is among seven schools that have undergone a review into building project problems The roofs and overflowing gutters at the 1700-student Botany Downs Secondary College have not been fixed despite the announcement of a $20 million repair project in 2019 It is one of * 111 school build projects worth more than $10m in the pipeline - but the pipeline is blocked according to Ministry of Education figures released to RNZ under the Official Information Act (OIA) More than half are between one and five years late and a quarter are more than a third over budget By contrast, ministry figures for recently completed projects worth over $10m, show only two out of 27 projects running over budget - albeit by a massive 390 percent and 150 percent. Also, far, far more of the completion dates of these completed projects are within cooee of their original estimated completion dates There are few projects worth more than $20m on the list The ministry said the cost reviews at the sample of seven schools showed the overruns were "within expected parameters" Botany principal Karen Brinsden did not know what their latest cost estimate was; it has kept on changing as have the members of the ministry team they must deal with "We've got a major weathertightness project that needs to be started and completed and for us to be able to move forward So the ministry needs to do what they need to do to get us across that line." announced in February 2019 Botany Downs would be repaired This came fresh off the Ministry of Education winning a big case against the builder of the leaky classrooms But Year 9 children back in 2019 will be gone by the time any work begins They have had a single half-hour meeting with the ministry since last October "cos this project's very important to the college and the community" The ministry's response to the OIA request about 111 major projects underway showed 56 percent between one and five years late beyond their original completion date: 29 - about a quarter - were at least 33 percent over budget "As with many large infrastructure projects there have been delays due to buildability challenges and design This is not uncommon in projects of this size and scope," Hipkins said Ellesmere College's problems sparked the series of ministry-commissioned Ellesmere's community has peppered the ministry with complaints about its project which was three years late and had doubled in cost to $60m Its review "has supported us in identifying opportunities to improve value for money" National property manager Sam Fowler said the series of seven reviews "largely identified costs to be within expected kind of parameters or where you think they might be but they've helped us target certain areas where there might be opportunities to add value" The ministry said in its response it had upped its game in the last five years on building schools standardised designs and was now doing two business cases per project instead of just one It was looking at using classrooms built off-site more "We have also improved our assurance activities with well-established design assurance and construction observation across all our significant projects," it said But the latest overruns all date since 2020 well into that five-year period of improvements So why were the planning problems persisting "It's been a challenging delivery environment over the last few years," Fowler said budgets went up when the scope of a school build or design changed though he could not give a figure for how many of the 29 that are well over budget were in this category A 2020 property strategy review by the ministry said its capabilities in information and planning had been "heavily constrained" since before 2013 The 'problem class' of seven reviewed schools included Christchurch Boys' High (due for completion in January 2022 now set for December 2024); Kamo High (Dec 2022/now due Feb 2025); Central Auckland Specialist School ("We have yet to break ground," it told RNZ - June 2023/now Oct 2025); and Ellesmere (Jan 2023/now Jan 2026) It also included Wellington Girls' College that will have its tower block demolished in November The school would be a dozen years without a hall or fields if its still-uncertain rebuild does finally hit a revised end-date of 2028 Her local ministry team had been stable and "fantastic" - but they still remained in limbo "Every time they sort of do a new report into what's happening under the ground so they haven't been actually go to Cabinet yet with a proposal for the money." She wished they could have moved the cramped inner-city school to a whole new site Marlborough Girls College was another that praised the ministry's work in the area's massive $100m-plus merger of three schools "I'm pretty impressed with how things are going," said principal Mary-Jeanne Lynch adding the partnership with local iwi helped "It is actually really challenging to rebuild a school .. Material and labour costs had galloped ahead since the merger project was scope Witness to that was the Christchurch schools rebuild that was now at $1.6 billion and was still working on 29 out of 115 schools The ministry owned 15,000 school buildings and managed all large projects comprising 70 percent of all builds in total * Although appendix 2 has a column that reads 'original completion date' but only the completion date taken from business cases or reports available in 2020 Some of these projects could have earlier or much earlier original completion dates A group of high school students in West Auckland have finished school with building qualifications Massey High School Principal Glen Denham tells us about… Audio Chris Hipkins says the funding today will maintain the momentum of the government's funding of about 4000 student places every three months New Zealand schools are in the clear from a concrete product that has seen more than 100 schools in England have to close over collapse fears A Botany Downs Secondary College student has achieved the world’s leading youth achievement award Emma Twentyman went through a number of challengers to receive her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award It is designed to get young people experience outside the classroom in order for them to become “committed responsible and fulfilled citizens of the world,” the Duke of Edinburgh International Award says on its website Participants (16+) are required to complete four sections at each level – voluntary service Voluntary Service is where the participant must volunteer in their community and see how their service can make a positive difference the participant must improve on an existing skill or learn something new Physical recreation is designed to improve the health and fitness of the participant with them choosing a team sport On the participant’s adventurous journey they are encouraged to go on a team expedition or exploration amongst wildlife The first three must average at least one hour per week on each section over a 12 month period Adventurous journey is four days/three nights plus training and at least one practice journey they must also complete a residential project “Emma has shown commitment and perseverance throughout the award,” Botany Downs says Botany Downs Secondary College notched up an 18-15 win in a close-fought rugby battle with Macleans College in the 1st XV 1B (Pool B) competition at the weekend Saint Kentigern College’s 1st XV just lost out to De La Salle College 13-14 in the 1A (round robin) Howick College 1st XV beat Pakuranga College 1st XV 28-12 while on Saturday the Pakuranga College 1st XV beat Waitakere College 31-20 Saint Kentigern College 1R lost 10-26 to St Peter’s (Epsom) 1R Saint Kentigern College 2A beat St Peter’s 2A 17-10 in the 2nd Grade – 2A (RR) In the 2nd Grade – 2C (RR2) Macleans College 2C cleaned up against Avondale College 55-0 Saint Kentigern College beat St Peter’s 15-13 in the 5th Grade – 5A (RR) while in the 5th Grade 5B (RR) Howick College went down 12-45 against Auckland Grammar In the 5th Grade – 5C Saint Kentigern College lost 22-26 to Selwyn College while Sancta Maria College 5C lost 5-17 to Pukekohe High School U70kg Restricted Macleans College lost 12-39 to Saint Kentigern College in the 6th Grade – 6B (RR) while Botany Downs Secondary College 6B comfortably accounted for St Peter’s 46-12 In the U15A (RR) Saint Kentigern College U15A held off Mt Albert Grammar School U15A to win 13-12 while in the U15 B (Central/East) Botany Downs Secondary College comfortably beat Tamaki College 24-3 and Howick College U15B beat Sacred Heart 12-5 Howick College clocked up a huge win against Onehunga High School Girls winning 101-0 in the Secondary School Girls 10s (RR1) Subscribe and save up to 38% on a magazine subscription Cassie Arauzo was excelling at school as a student leader when she found out she was pregnant. She had thought her school, Botany Downs Secondary College in Auckland, would ask her to leave but instead school staff were hugely supportive Now her daughter is six and despite Cassie’s life taking a dramatic and unexpected turn since getting pregnant she has overcome many setbacks to continue her education as a young mum and forge a successful career When I was at high school I was a real achiever; I had so much drive and ambition to do well In my earlier school years I failed most of my work but I figured out that if I put in the extra time I could achieve So from year 10 I did a lot of study and my grades turned around I went from getting not achieved to achieved then merits and excellences I got a real kick out of it so then I set my sights on becoming a lead student in Year 13 To be a lead student you have to have more than good grades; you have to be an all-rounder So I started putting myself in a heap of extracurricular activities I got my bronze in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme I did a lot of running… I mentored Year 9 students… anything that came up at school I put my hand up for I applied and was given a house leader role It really was a big deal and it felt like ‘I can do anything now’ Cassie heavily pregnant in her final year at Botany Downs Secondary College Our leaders’ responsibilities included mentoring and guiding the year 9 students did activities with them and generally helped organise school events I remember completing a leadership programme and a politician spoke to us about how he didn’t have much growing up but how every day you need to be grateful I remember thinking I wanted to be empowering like that one day and share with people that you can achieve despite where you’ve come from Just before I became a prefect I met a guy at my Year 12 ball We became intimate and to be honest we just weren’t taking precautions We’d got away with not using contraception a few times and I was kind of like ‘oh it’s not that easy to get pregnant’ When I started getting morning sickness I took a pregnancy test but I didn’t actually think I would be All dressed up for her high school graduation I remember to this day – I actually still have the stick I was in my room; I did the test and put it up on the dresser then sat down and waited I said to my partner ‘should I look at it?’ and he was like ‘yup’ and I grabbed it and saw two lines I was like ‘wait what does two lines mean?’ and I had to check the box three times I remember going red hot and my ears were burning and it was like ‘okay Cassie this is not a joke any more’ He was ‘maybe it’s a mistake’ so literally that minute we went to the doctors to do another test The nurse said ‘yup you are pregnant’ and then it hit him and his face went red too I had just had my 18th birthday.We decided we would keep it a secret but I couldn’t contain myself and that night woke up my brother and told him He was like ‘oh my god you are in so much trouble’ Cassie’s labour was seven hours long I wanted to make up my own mind about how I felt first So I went back to the doctors and found out how far along I was and I was eight weeks and I knew that to terminate you had to be before 12 weeks And then I worked out how much time I had to make a decision and what I needed to do to make the decision I went to Family Planning and asked what was involved in the termination process I wanted to make an informed decision because I was quite aware that keeping the baby was a lifelong decision – but so was not keeping the baby I did so many ‘pros and cons’ lists and went back and forth constantly One day I was keeping it and the next day I wasn’t I asked the father if he would he stay with me if I kept it and he said yes I’d prefer if you didn’t but I’d support you if you did The thing that swung me in the end was the doctors’ answer to my question what do you do with it once it’s done [aborted] and they told me it would go into a mass burial The fact that they were burying it meant it was still an acknowledgement of life and it didn’t sit well with me Once the decision was made we had the conversations with the relevant people.We were very strategic about who we told first and last; we wanted to get the easy ones done first My mother guessed because I said ‘I have to tell you something’ and she went ‘you’re engaged’ and I said no so her second guess was ‘you’re pregnant’ His mum was very surprised but eventually she came round He is very loving but he is a very hard man it’s almost like nothing is ever good enough for him If I got first place in a race it would be ‘but your time could have been better’ – he was quite harsh like that Cassie’s first few days at home with her new baby Telling him was the hardest part of the whole journey because he was genuinely disappointed His face was sad and I felt guilty because he had come over from Mexico and raised me from 13-14 years and it was almost a reflection of his parenting He said to me ‘you’ve proved them all right’ I didn’t want people to think he had done a bad job and I felt really sick about it I remember crying so much and eventually Dad came in and said ‘I’m still disappointed but just think about it and stop crying’.I thought he would really push me to not keep it but he didn’t very supportive along with the school councillor I thought I might be asked to leave because a copycat effect can happen – where if students see another student pregnant it normalises it and more kids become pregnant and especially with me being a lead student But I wasn’t asked to leave and although they said they would take my leadership badge off me they didn’t For the first few months it was easy to hide but once the rumours started going around they went round really quickly People still didn’t realise it was me though because I was the most unlikely person Someone even came up to me and said have you heard someone is pregnant But it got to the point where I couldn’t hide it any more I couldn’t do up my skirt and I was the only student in the school that the teachers were allowing to wear a jacket inside (to hide my skirt not being done up) The other students were actually supportive and nice No one was mean or anything although my friends said a lot of people stared I carried on working really hard at school but it was so much more difficult because I had no energy I’d come home from school at three o’clock and fall asleep wake up for dinner and then fall straight back to sleep again I was heavily pregnant for my exams and the school allowed me to sit them in a different room so that I could walk around and stretch and go to the toilet as many times as I needed Graduation was in December 2010 and Alexia was due in January 2011 and walking on to the stage I could just feel all eyes on me I received an award for journalism and I was literally waddling It was so silent and you could hear me walking and when I got my award everyone clapped extra hard because it had taken me a while to get up on to that stage The plan before I got pregnant had been to go to Auckland University and study broadcast journalism Cassie’s midwife helped Cassie realise that she did not have to be a ‘perfect’ mother and that she and Alexia would learn together You’re out of the bubble of school and everyone is moving on with their lives People are travelling and going to uni and having fun; I was at home with a new baby and I definitely felt like I was missing out The dad and I split up. When the baby came it was a lot harder than we had imagined. You don’t think about things like sleep deprivation and you can only prepare yourself so much He had quit uni and started working to try and support us but we had gone from being young and careless teens to being real grown up I had moved out of home as well because there was no room for me and the baby I had had this whole idea of having a happy family and so it was hard coming to terms with the fact I was going to have to do it on my own My dad helped where he could and he financially supported me where he could but he wasn’t rolling in it and he was often away in Mexico So what I really lacked was physical and emotional support – having someone there to talk to or show me how to do things like change a nappy. I had no family support. I remember one of my first nights Youtubing how to swaddle a baby and another time how to do mashed potatoes – thank god for the internet. It was hard for Cassie to come to terms with the fact she would be raising Alexia alone. I started getting agitated, thinking I can’t stay home another year; so I enrolled myself at Auckland University and started in 2012; Lexi went in to day-care. But it was so hard. There were a lot of study hours required that I just didn’t have because when I came home from uni I had to feed her, bath her and she still wasn’t sleeping through the night. Study time normally started at 9pm and went till about 1am so I wasn’t getting a lot of sleep. I ate toast or instant food, and wasn’t taking care of myself. Over the next two years I was in hospital at least twice a year. I was getting high temperatures and abdominal pain but there was nothing wrong from the tests. Basically they said ‘what’s going on in your life?’ and then they told me you need to rest and get in more time for yourself. I kept thinking ‘I’m doing this for my daughter’ but then realised, well actually what use am I to my daughter if I’m unwell and grumpy and have no time for her? So I pulled out of uni and it again felt like a real fail, but I took the next six months to recoup and enrolled at AUT in 2013. By then I felt a lot stronger because I had reshuffled my life and owned the fact that Lexi has got to be the winner and benefit here. It was good because straight away I said to AUT ‘this is my situation and I need something that will work for me’ and it felt like being back at school a bit because they were very supportive too. I could take Lexi to class, which I did, and it was really nice to be encouraged to not miss class if I needed to bring her. They nurtured me to succeed rather than pushed me. At the end of my final year I graduated with excellence in a communications degree. I made a speech thanking them for their support; I felt very emotional. Lexi was four and had no idea what the day meant but I made sure I had all the photos taken with her so that I can show them to her later and show her that we are always stronger than we think we are. AUT graduation day – a very proud and emotional day for Cassie. Life’s been good since then. I’ve had hiccups but watching her first day at school and her first tooth come out and the happiness on her face when the tooth fairy came and all those things, it’s been a real rewarding experience. After graduating I went straight into working for a PR agency, starting as an intern and working my way up to an executive and then manager. Now I’m working for a large telecommunications company in a challenging new role. Lexi is six and notices that I’m a lot younger than her friends’ mums. I don’t want her to follow in my steps but I don’t want her to think that becoming pregnant at a young age means you have to forgo all your dreams either. After Lexi was born people did start trickling out of my life and I’ve had to learn to be okay in my own company. I hate to admit it but my daughter has seen me cry way too many times and you’re not supposed to be vulnerable in front of your children. Even now, telling people I have a six-year-old, people are shocked and you just can’t let it get to you. I think we are living as women in a really difficult time because we get criticised if we stay home with our children for not earning our way, but if we go to work we get criticised for not being a good mum and spending time with our children. And it’s such a pull in both directions. I think all mums feel that. No matter the age you have a baby, all those first experiences and troubles are the same. The blessing in all of this is that Lexi and I have a relationship you can’t buy. I’m so proud of her and I love her so much. She has been such a supportive daughter. My dad, I thought he wouldn’t be involved but he is Lexi’s number one fan. He adores her and fills that father role and they have a tight relationship. We had a conversation a year ago and I said ‘I’ve worked so hard to make you proud since getting pregnant’. I wanted him to be able to talk proudly about me and he doesn’t tell me but others have, that he talks about me all the time. Subscribe and save up to 38% on a magazine subscription. Botany Downs Secondary College has taken out first place in the Stage Challenge RAW Division with their performance Endangered species. The Stage Challenge is New Zealand’s largest and longest-running youth performing arts event. Botany Downs Secondary College’s performance at the ASB Theatre at Aotea Centre last night focused on the “devastating reasons that many animals are endangered”. The main issues covered in their piece included pollution, the ever-growing human population and the destruction of their natural habitats. “Botany Downs Secondary College really wowed the crowd with their moving piece on extinction,” said event manager Olivia Kinane. “Watching the narrative unfold was truly mesmerising. They truly did themselves proud.” Performance judge, Jazz Heaven said: “I can tell there has been an incredible amount of work and consideration put into the costuming, hair, make-up and props – this performance was a was a visual treat for me.” In a close second place was Westlake Girls High School with Materialism, a story focused around a teen fighting the decision between becoming a doctor or choosing her passion of dance. Production judge Braydon Priest said: “Delightful leads – a real pleasure to watch.” Miss Kinane added: “The RAW Division schools put on a fantastic show for Auckland tonight. Every student showcased a high level of creativity and passion, showcasing the evident hard work and determination that they had put into their performance. “Tonight’s show truly reflects how Stage Challenge is a great pathway for youth to creatively express themselves and their values in a safe and healthy way.” She said the Stage Challenge and  J Rock offer a platform for students to develop self-belief, confidence and resilience, as the safe, fun and exciting atmosphere upholds key values of attending school, working towards realistic education goals, and staying fit and healthy without tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. Botany Downs Secondary College 1; Westlake Girls’ High School 2; Macleans College3. Ministry of Education Award of Excellence for Concept Papatoetoe High School, Takapuna Grammar School, Orewa College, Massey High School, Rangitoto College, Selwyn College. 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