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A day of remembrance was held in Port Vila, Vanuatu in the weekend honouring those lost and missing in the MV Matui tragedy and six others who died at sea in August. Pacific Islands leaders have used their addresses to the United Nations General Assembly to urge Indonesia to allow the UN human rights chief access to West Papua. Fa'asao Amerika Samoa and Conservation Council for Hawai'i filed a law...

Pacific Islands leaders have used their addresses to the United Nations General Assembly to urge Indonesia to allow the UN human rights chief access to West Papua.

Fa'asao Amerika Samoa and Conservation Council for Hawai'i filed a lawsuit in August, shortly after the US announced plans to lease more than 31 million acres of seabed around American Samoa, including waters near the Manu'a islands, for deep-sea mineral exploration in November.

The new president of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) wants to strengthen the regions newsrooms.

The latest news and sport from RNZ Pacific.

Reporter Ke-Xin Li finds out what some Auckland voters are hoping for in the next political term.

ACT leader David Seymour discusses party priorities and supermarket consent process.

The Auckland festival returns to the CBD for its second year. Helaina Kelley, Auckland Live Manager for Performing Arts, tells First Up about the experiences on offer.

Local Democracy Reporter Susan Botting has the latest from Northland.

Correspondent Katherine Firkin brings First Up the latest from New York City.

Over a hundred years ago Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch discovered a way to produce ammonia that revolutionised farming. It changed the world. But today this way of making ammonia uses between 1-2% of the world's global energy, and produces about the same greenhouse gas emissions as the whole airline industry. Is there a better way? A team at Earth Sciences New Zealand are on the hunt for a catalyst t...

The dreaded RMA has finally gone, but its replacement Acts have come in for a slew of criticism, especially from environmentalists.

Everyone who has kids wants to help them get on in life. One way is to help them buy their first home. But is selling a stake in your home a good way to do this? This week on No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds, we're looking at Lifetime Homes, term deposits, petrol prices and why many of us aren't on track to have enough money in retirement.

A wrap of the day's big stories

China is criticised for a ballistic missile test; the CNMI begins to recover from Super Typhoon Bavi; we ask what Matariki means across the region; and New Zealand celebrates Kiribati language week.

All the top stories and other headlines from the day

Victoria Campbell is the general manager of the Dark Sky Project, a joint venture involving Ngai Tahu, which organises stargazing tours at Mount St John near Tekapo in the southern alps. They're celebrating 20 years in astrotourism this Matariki.

In 1865, government forces planned an expedition against the Pai Marire community at Waerenga-a-Hika pa, near Gisborne. The pa had become a refuge for several hundred people who made up over half the Turanga Maori population, fleeing the East Coast Wars. Government agent Donald McLean assembled a mixed force of Ngati Porou volunteers and European troops, including Military Settlers and the East Ca...

The top stories and other headlines at midday

Our resident gardening expert is back, this time to talk about all things Matariki. Hannah Zwartz has over 30 years' experience gardening professionally, including looking after the herb and succulent areas at Wellington Botanic Garden and running community market gardens in the Hutt Valley. She speaks with Paddy Gower about making the most of this time of year and answers your listener questions.

Majic won Best Maori Female Solo Artist at the Waiata Maori Music Awards in 2015 and she's putting together a concert which is next weekend to mark Matariki. She's undertaken the task on behalf of her iwi - Ngaati Whatua Orakei - which is the host this year of the national hautapu ceremony which you'll have heard a bit from here on RNZ National yesterday.

From a home perched impossibly on the side of hills, to a flat pack build that needs only three people to put together - our landscape hosts some rather unique dwellings. Simon Devitt is an award-winning photographer, and Andrea Stevens is a writer with a background in architecture. Together they've teamed up, collating New Zealand's most interesting homes into a coffee table book called 'Cape to...

Poi E is right up there with iconic Kiwi songs. The chart-topping waiata is 42 years old and still going strong. The Patea Maori Club is still going strong too - they were performing just last night. Paddy is joined by Laura Maruera, who as chair person keeps the club in line. She joins Paddy from Patea, along with foundational members, twins Bib and Bub.

Now, granted, it is a long weekend - and you have every right to put your feet up and relax - but if you're worried about becoming a winter couch potato, then this might be for you. The Winter 31 Club is a 31 day yoga challenge inspired by Matariki. Katie Deare is from the Sun Salute Yoga Centre in Hamilton to talk it over.

The Doc Edge Festival is on at the moment with screenings at all the main centres. There's even a Virtual Cinema launching at the end of the month - so no one is missing out. Always close to the action was our very own Mihi Forbes who Paddy speaks with live from the launch of the latest important chapter in the NZ Wars series: Stories of Waerenga-a-Hika