Siva Afi told to leave factory, not land

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:02:24 -1100

Siva Afi Investments Ltd must leave its factory immediately but not the adjoining land and premises on it, the Supreme Court says in an amended order.
Issued on Wednesday the amended order clears up confusion caused by an initial order imposed on 19 June.

That first order was issued as a result of an application by the Land Board.
It ordered the Respondents, Siva Afi, to start to vacate government land they lease at Sogi within seven days.

RSE workers warned on health cover

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:03:20 -1100

A Samoan seasonal worker in New Zealand was denied surgery as there was no health insurance deducted from his pay.
The RSE worker needed an operation at Middlemore Hospital but this proved impossible.

Chief Executive of the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Auseugaefa Va’asatia Poloma Komiti said there are technical issues regarding the reasons for this.

Hip-hop group to tag along on Key’s Pacific trip

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:01:37 -1100

John Key is taking a hip-hop dance troupe on his trip around the Pacific at the taxpayers’ expense - but they will be expected to dance for their supper.

Seven members of Prestige Dance Crew are in the entourage of about 70 people on the Prime Minister’s four-day trip to Tonga, Samoa, Niue and the Cook Islands by Air Force Boeing next week.

Paper dresses take to runway

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:55:01 -1100

The rustle of organza and whisper of silk will be joined by the flounce of toilet paper on the runway this Fashion Week.

In a new take on cotton, an ethereal baby-doll dress by Louise Barnes of Parnell; a show-stopper with cascading frills beneath butterfly wings by Yao Chen of Mt Albert; and a pom pom party dress dubbed ‘the sexy perm’ by Samoa-born Lua Talaoloa E’etau of West Auckland (formerly of Porirua), will add to the theatre of Air New Zealand Fashion Week this year.

Quota ballot results are out

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:53:24 -1100

The results of the Immigration New Zealand 2009 Samoa Quota (SQ) and Pacific Access Category (PAC) Ballots are out.

The numbers of those randomly selected this year under the SQ and PAC ballots for the opportunity for entry into New Zealand were drawn on 24 June (NZ time).

Samoan selected for senior US army post

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:19:26 -1100

Command Sergeant Major Iuniasolua Savusa was selected as the Command Sergeant Major for the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) headquartered at Camp Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

CSM Savusa will leave his post as the Command Sergeant Major of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and United States Forces in Kabul, Afghanistan. 

PM rejects Fiji road map for poll

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:15:08 -1100

Samoa’s prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele, has labelled Fiji’s new roadmap as unacceptable.

Fiji’s interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama says work on a new constitution that scraps the ethnic-based system will start in 2012 and he called for assistance from the international community.

Nigel Planer’s heaven on earth: Polynesia

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:13:24 -1100

I’ve been fascinated by Polynesia ever since seeing a picture of Robert Louis Stevenson in Samoa in the 1890s, looking, funnily enough, for all the world like someone I would have known from my hippie youth.

Polynesia is about the farthest, most remote place for Britons to get to but is the quintessential “island paradise”. It actually consists of hundreds of islands and though some visitors do spend all of their time in one luxury resort, my advice would be to explore as many islands as possible.

Postpone switch: PASS

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:05:04 -1100

The road switch should be postponed until the legal processes arising from it have finished.

The call on the Prime Minister and his government came from one of the counsel for People Against Switching Sides (PASS) yesterday.

Tole’afoa Solomona Toailoa said a postponement of the 7 September switch would indicate the government respects the court.

Man drowns at Pu’apu’a

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:03:48 -1100

A man from the village of Alafua has drowned at the shore of Pu’apu’a, Savai’i.
This was confirmed by one of his sons who did not want to be named.

Vui Stowers, in his late 50s was fishing when the incident occurred on Saturday night.
He said his father was visiting his relatives in Savai’i and they were shocked to hear the news that he drowned.