New Zealand

International competition between Native Hawaiian and Māori soccer players wrapped in Hilo last week with the signing of an agreement, securing future competition between the two groups. HPR's Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi reports.

Researchers surveyed 46 participants, who were asked to watch amusing videos and have their facial reactions recorded by a Facial Action Coding System, which is a software that looks at expressions and muscle movements.

The career of Māori music artist Stan Walker continues to grow beyond his native New Zealand. The Conversation’s Russell Subiono got the chance to talk to Walker ahead of his concert this Saturday on Oʻahu.

Māori recording artist Stan Walker's new single, “Māori Ti Ke Ao,” is out now, celebrating his culture and native language. Walker said the song means a reclamation of identity and being proud of your indigeneity.

The New Zealand rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra is playing a show on Oʻahu this weekend. The award-winning group is fronted by Ruban Nielson. He was raised in New Zealand, the home of his Māori father, but he also has ties to Hawaiʻi through his mother.

Award-winning Māori actress Rena Owen has recently been traveling to Hawaiʻi to train local people for careers in film and television. Owen sat down with The Conversation to talk about what the Hawaiʻi film industry can learn from the early days of the New Zealand film industry.

This week the Federal Transit Administration agreed to release three-quarters of a billion dollars to help finance the Honolulu rail project. More than 4,000 miles away, a different federal government is taking a very different approach with another urban rail project. HPR's Bill Dorman has more in today's Asia Minute.

Gina Cole is a science fiction writer of Fijian descent from New Zealand. She's currently in residence at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa as a Fulbright creative writing scholar. Speaking to The Conversation, Cole shared how science fiction rooted in the Pacific cultures can play a part in our future.

Homes, roads, schools and bridges were wiped out by Cyclone Lola in parts of Vanuatu last week. It was the earliest Category 5 cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. With the Pacific News Minute, HPR's Derrick Malama reports.

New Zealand is heading towards a new government, with a new prime minister. Weekend elections marked a shift to the right, but much remains uncertain. HPR's Bill Dorman has more in today's Asia Minute.