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Indonesia arrests 34, blocks internet in Papua to curb protests

TIMIKA/JAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) – Indonesia has arrested 34 people and cut internet access in its easternmost region of Papua to rein in violence after protesters torched buildings, a market and a prison over mistreatment of students and perceived ethnic discrimination. Police have flown in 1,200 more officers to quell sometimes violent protests since Monday in...

Kumar: Minimal instances of child labour and human trafficking in Fiji

FIJI is concerned about the widespread problem of human trafficking and child labour in many parts of the world. Employment Minister Parveen Kumar said Fiji was fortunate it had not faced the full brunt of the problem. He said Fiji had minimal instances of child labour and human trafficking. “Globally, we are all deeply concerned...

Profit-sharing deal could transform Pacific Islands rugby, says Dan Leo

LONDON, 23 AUGUST 2019 (PRESS ASSOCIATION) – Pacific Rugby campaigners are pushing Europe’s top unions to agree to a profit-sharing deal that could help transform the Test fortunes of Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. Pacific Rugby Players Welfare (PRPW) hopes to organise a meeting with World Rugby and the decision-makers at the English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh...

Fiji calls for multi-sectoral approach to end child labour

THE Fijian Government has called on stakeholders, non-government organisations and the civil society for a multi-sectoral approach to eliminate child labour, forced labour and modern slavery from our societies. Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations Parveen Kumar made this call while officiating at the two-day forum on National Strategic Planning Forum to develop a...

Fiji’s PRUN to chair Working Group on Trafficking in Persons

FIJI’S Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Nazhat Shameem Khan has been appointed as the chair of the Working Group on Trafficking in Persons at the United Nations Organisation for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna. The Working Group was established to strengthen compliance internationally with the Protocol on Trafficking in Persons. Speaking...

Pope gives sick girl free run of audience stage, delighting crowd

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis allowed a girl suffering from an undisclosed illness to move around undisturbed clapping and dancing on the stage for most of his general audience on Wednesday, delighting the crowd. The girl, wearing a pink T-shirt reading “Love,” slipped away from her mother at the front of the audience hall...

Indonesia chief security minister to fly to Papua as fresh protests erupt

TIMIKA, Indonesia (Reuters) – Indonesia’s chief security minister said he will fly to Papua late on Wednesday after violent protests, including stone-throwing and the torching of some buildings, spread to more towns in the easternmost region over perceived discrimination. Police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd in the town of Fakfak, West Papua, after...

Health often overlooked in climate change talks

HEALTH is an important issue that is often overlooked when leaders talk about climate change. This was the view of World Health Organization regional director for Western Pacific Dr Takeshi Kasai. He made the comment as parliamentarians attending the Asia-Pacific Parliament Forum on Global Health in Nadi, visited Namoli, Lautoka, yesterday. Fiji is hosting the...

Studying in church, shed since 2016

SINCE December 2016, students of Laucala District School have used two church buildings and a shed as classrooms because new school buildings, damaged by landslide have not been constructed. As a result, the students of Dreketi Village on Qamea, Taveuni, had had to share spaces in the two church buildings. The old school building was...

A-G says some FLS members are ‘monetary driven’

SOME members of the private Bar, including the Fiji Law Society, are “monetary driven” with no effort made to help develop a legal aid culture among its members, says Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. In his opening remarks at the inaugural Pacific Regional Legal Aid Commission Conference in Sigatoka yesterday, he said some members of the Fiji...

Australia says it will join U.S.-led defence effort in Strait of Hormuz

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia will join the United States in a coalition of countries protecting oil tankers and cargo ships from threats posed by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday. Global commodity trading has been rocked in recent months after a series of Iranian attacks on international merchant...

Parliamentarians urged to drive action

PARLIAMENTARIANS attending the 5th Asia Pacific Parliamentarian on Global Health (APPFGH) were urged to drive actions in their countries that will promote and protect the health and well-being of all. While delivering his keynote address, Speaker Ratu Epeli Nailatikau said parliamentarians played a critical role in enacting laws for health, mobilise financial resources, monitor implementation...

Fiji establishes another honorary consulate in Japan

FIJI’S Ambassador to Japan Isikeli Mataitoga says the establishment of another Honorary Consulate in Osaka is in line with Fiji’s long-standing policy in establishing and maintaining friendly relations with countries that have demonstrated genuine goodwill towards Fiji. He made the comments following the successful establishment of Fiji’s Honorary Consulate in Osaka earlier in the week....

Indonesia sends more police to Papua, curbs internet speed amid tension

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia sent 200 more police officers to Papua on Tuesday and reined in internet speeds to “prevent hoaxes from spreading” as civil unrest persisted in some parts of the country’s easternmost area, officials said. Thousands of Papuans took the streets of the cities of Sorong, Manokwari and Jayapura on Monday, blocking roads,...

Dutch water experts deployed to Fiji

WATERWAYS and Environment Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy said a team of Dutch water experts has been deployed to Fiji to support resilience against floods and help mitigate flood issues in the Ba and Rakiraki catchments. According to a Department of Information statement, the Dutch Disaster Risk Reducation team will contribute to understanding the flood risk...

Martel: Mass migration if 1.5C target is not met

IF the world does not take urgent measures to meet the 1.5 degrees Celsius pre-industrial target seriously, it will witness the mass migration of vulnerable Pacific Island people on a scale never seen before. This was the view of Pacific Islands Development Forum secretary-general Francois Martel to participants at the University of Fiji’s International Symposium...

Fiji hosts 5th Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health

FIJI becomes the first Pacific Island country to host the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health. While welcoming delegates to the 5th Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health in Nadi, President Jioji Konrote said “Fiji, like the rest of our friends in the Pacific, are experiencing and witnessing the adverse impacts of climate change and...

Leaders end meeting

PACIFIC Islands Forum leaders concluded the 50th PIF Leaders Meeting in consensus but with qualifications. This was revealed by the chair of the meeting and Tuvaluan Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga. The qualifications meant that not all forum leaders agreed with the recommendations put forward by the smaller island states (SIS). The SIS had endorsed the...

PIF leaders to be a voice for all climate-vulnerable people

PRIME Minister Voreqe Bainimarama along with fellow Pacific heads of Government will continue to push the region’s largest carbon emitter to transition from coal to clean energy. Mr Bainimarama highlighted this while addressing the Fijian media at the end of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting. He said they will continue to be a voice...

USP Tuvalu campus new satellite commissioned

THE new satellite for the University of the South Pacific (USP) Tuvalu Campus was commissioned by the New Zealand Minister for Pacific People, Aupito William on Tuesday, August 13, 2019. Dr Giulio Paunga, USP Vice-President Regional Campuses and Estates and Infrastructure said the event, “marks the accomplishment of our dream that we believe will make...

No accord after 12 hours of talks

PRIME Minister Voreqe Bainimarama is disappointed that Pacific Islands Forum leaders could not reach a consensus after 12 hours of talks during the Leaders Retreat on Thursday. In a statement yesterday, Mr Bainimarama said while there has been a great deal of agreement in Funafuti, it was clear that there were differences of opinion, emphasis...

Leaders did their best, says Sopoaga

FORUM leaders worked to the best they could, says chair of the 50th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting and Tuvaluan Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga. Mr Sopoaga said the 18 forum leaders brought their common interests and their own national interests and as chair he appreciated the contribution of all leaders. Responding to Prime Minister Voreqe...

Australia reaffirms stand

AUSTRALIA will stand with its Pacific family when it comes to issues affecting the region such as climate change, says Prime Minister Scott Morrison. During a press conference in Funafuti, Tuvalu yesterday, Mr Morrison reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to meeting carbon emission targets because of the impact global warming was having on Pacific Island nations. “They’re...

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