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. 

This past week, South Africa presented their case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Israel also presented its defence.

In the past 100 days, Israel's bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip has killed at least 23,000 Palestinains. 

News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa Chair, John Minto, and Lawyer, about what claims South Africa has made against Israel to prove genocidal intent, and why it is so significant for South Africa to be making this case.

She started off the interview by asking Minto to explain what the International Court of Justice is and how it operates.

She also spoke to Lawyer and political advocacy expert, Dr Max Harris, about South Africa's genocide case, and calls for the New Zealamd government to support it. 

She started off our interview by asking Harris about the merit of both South Africa and Israel’s arguments.

News teamers Kate and Sofia, and Digital News Sub-Editor Joel, talked to protestors who marched from the Auckland Domain to the ACT Party’s Epsom Office last week against the government’s overturning of Aotearoa’s world-first anti-smoking legislation.

News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Chair of The Meningitis Foundation, Gerard Rushton, about why all people, particularly those aged 13 to 25, should be protected against meningococcal. 

And we celebarte the best of The Wire 2023, recapping the year that was in news and current affairs. 

This morning Rawan spoke with National Chair of the Palestinian solidarity network John Minto. 

Rawan started off by asking him about the pro-Palestine protests at the Auckland ports that took place a few weeks ago. 

Palestine supporters had blocked the entrance of the Auckland ports in protest of Israeli shipping companies entering the port. 

John spoke about how this played out and what the impacts of it were.

They then spoke about the government's recent release of a joint statement with Canada and Australia which essentially called for a ceasefire. 

Rawan asked about what pressured the government into this and what it could mean for the future.