Embassy of the United States of America in Apia, has issues a statements saying that it is not accusing New Zealand of human trafficking after all. In its statement the Embassy said it wished to correct an inaccurate New Zealand press reports about the Regional Seasonal Employment Scheme. The US Embassy wishes “to correct the Read more
Last month US Human Trafficking Ambassador Luis CdeBaca came to New Zealand with a delegation to talk with government officials, unions and lobby groups. No statement followed, but sources say the Americans were alarmed at a lack of recognition of trafficking in New Zealand. One of the issues the Americans are investigating is the seasonal Read more
Some churches in New Zealand are taking part in programmes to encourage Pacific Island people to live in a healthier way. Some of the programmes are directed toward weight reduction. Aere Ki Mua is a new church-based health programme which has received $70,000 funding from the Waikato District Health Board’s Healthy Eating Healthy Action (HEHA) programme. Each church project received Read more
A group of landowners in Papua New Guinea say they will appeal against a court’s decision not to ban a nickel mine from dumping mining waste into the sea. Papua New Guinea’s National Court has rejected an application for a permanent halt to the use of deep sea waste disposal by the 1.5 billion dollar Read more
The vanua is failing to play its role in the prevention of sexual offences, says Methodist Church assistant secretary general, Reverend Tevita Nawadra. “The derogatory portrayal of women in movies and the media, miscommunication between family members, the lack of censorship and control over what our children are exposed to are just some of the Read more
It is cheaper to relocate people from flood and disaster-prone areas than to fix infrastructure or build dams or divert river systems to reduce the level of flood threat. This was the message conveyed by visiting water management specialist Dr Alfred Duda to Minister for Primary Industries Joketani Cokanasiga during a visit to the Nadi Read more
Papua New Guinea officials say they will know within two weeks whether they will reopen the Manus Island asylum seeker processing centre. However, Australia’s Uniting Church has criticised discussions between the country’s Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and his Papua New Guinea counterpart, Ano Pala, over the possible processing of asylum seekers on Manus Island. Mr Rudd Read more
The Australian Transport Workers Union has threatened to place bans of aircraft flying tourists to Fiji. The national secretary of the Fiji Trade Union Congress, Felix Anthony, has been visiting Australia and New Zealand seeking international trade union support for a campaign opposing a proposed new decree that would limit union rights in Fiji. The Read more
Lieutenant Colonel Ratu Tevita Mara, Former Fiji army commander, denies the accusations of torture against him, which he claims are false and mischievous Colonel Mara is in New Zealand to meet with the Fiji community and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFat) to discuss the level of human rights abuse, which he Read more
In a bid to portray the message of saving our environment, 550 students of St Joseph’s Secondary School in Suva will take to the stage in their annual concert next week to save earth. The students performed their first dress rehearsal to parents and teachers at the school hall at Waimanu Road yesterday. Principal Sister Read more