The Wire with Caeden

The average words per minute (wpm) a person can type out on a phone is around 35 words. This is slightly higher for computers with an average of around 40-45 wpm. 

Stenographers can produce up to an incredible 360 wpm, keeping up with conversation in real time. However the skillset requiring this is tedious and expensive to employ; resulting in outsourcing and automation of transcription.

Director of Mercury Transcripts Katherine O'Brien spoke to Sofia about how stenography works and about being one of the last four stenographers in all of Aotearoa. 

While many Kiwis took the Christmas period as a time of respite and relaxation, the bombardment of Gaza by Israel continued.

After just over one hundred days of bombardment it is estimated that nearly twenty-four-thousand Palestinians have died with over two million people being displaced from their homes as a result of the conflict.

Nicholas spoke to the National Coordinator of Palestinians in Aotearoa, Dr Ahmed Saadeh for an update on the situation in Gaza.

One Hundred and fifty three countries have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The Convention which was originally ratified in 1948 was intended to prevent a repeat of the genocidal atrocities of World War Two.

Now, over 75 years after the convention was ratified, South Africa has filed a case to the International Court of Justice, alleging that Israel, a member of the convention, has breached their obligations.

Nicholas spoke to Treasa Dunworth, Associate professor of Law at the University of Auckland about the facts surrounding the historic case.

The government is preparing to repeal new Smokefree measures introduced by the previous Labour government, which were aimed at addressing the availability and addictiveness of smoked tobacco.

Health Coalition Aotearoa has accused the government and those backing the repeal of minimising smoking harm, particularly to Māori and Pacific peoples.

News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Health Coalition Co-Chair, Professor Lisa Te Morenga, about why they believe further action is needed on tobacco control to save lives.