Author: RNZ
Johnny Blades/RNZ Pacific senior journalist A West Papuan church leader has warned that ongoing killings of young Papuans allegedly by Indonesian security forces have the hallmark of genocide. Since the start of the year there’s been no stop to violent incidents in Indonesian-ruled Papua region – known internationally as West Papua. Indonesia’s government blames recent violence on armed, pro-independence West Papuan fighters. However, human rights defenders say the violence is escalating, while the young, indigenous people of West Papua are in the firing line. Escalation Last week a 17-year old Papuan girl was killed as a result of a military…
Source: RNZ/Country Life podcast. When Blair Coates’ parents took a skinny dip in the river running through the family farm one hot summer’s day, little did they think it would inspire a skincare production line in the former cowshed. “I can’t actually remember a time it wasn’t called Nudi Point, and it’s just always been a very, very special place,” Coates told the RNZ Country Life podcast. Coates called his range of serums, balms and other skincare products after the swimming hole because “my number one criteria for the range was that it was 100 percent natural.” The former city banker…
By Claire Taylor/ RNZ Plans are under way to protect Tekapo’s famous Church of the Good Shepherd from bad parking, damage and visitors using the “bushes as toilets”. The Mackenzie District Council’s Lake Tekapo Master Plan wants to recognise the popular tourist site as a New Zealand Heritage Precinct. The plan aims to improve traffic flow while maintaining lake views and walkability in the area. It could mean more parking restrictions and a slower speed limit. “People are using the trees and bushes as toilets,” Mackenzie mayor Scott Aronsen said. “I know there’s some concerns around… people parking up and…
Story by RNZ Pacific Fiji’s biggest Christian denomination has joined forces with the state in its efforts to address illicit drug use and the spread of HIV and AIDS in the population. It comes following the soft launch of a three-year prayer and fasting campaign by the Methodist Church in Fiji and the Ministry of Policing in Suva on Monday. Fiji has been gripped with a hard drugs crisis as it serves as a gateway for the movement of hard drugs from Southeast Asia and North America bound for the lucrative Australia and New Zealand markets. The drugs issue is…
This story by RNZ Reporter Tim Brown discusses graphic details of violence. Convicted murderer Clayton Weatherston has told the Parole Board that his mutilation of Sophie Elliott was “just an F-U to everything about her”. The 50-year-old has been declined parole and will remain behind bars until at least November 2027. Weatherston was an academic at Otago University who lectured in economics and had been in a relationship with the honours student. Elliott, 22, had left Weatherston and was packing up her life to move to Wellington to take up a job at Treasury on 9 January 2008, Weatherston’s 32nd…