The Concert will feature the largest line up of Pacific artists ever as curtain raiser for S.I.D.S activities and the Teuila Festival

The biggest line up of top Pacific musicians will be in Samoa at the end of August for a concert to remember.

Presented by Digicel, the Ray of Hope Concert is predicted to be the biggest event of the year.

Yesterday, Digicel C.E.O. Pepe Fia’ailetoa Fruean joined forces with S.V.S.G President, Lina Chang to launch and give a preview of the excitement to come.

Pepe revealed the star-studded line up of talents donating their performances and time through a partnership with Dawn Raid Entertainment. The popular hip hop sounds of Scribe, Savage and award-winning songstress Aaradhna will headline the show.

Other stars include Pieter T., Sammy Johnson, Vince Harder and Monsta.

The concert will be held in the heart of Apia at the Funway Park on the 29th August this year and confirmed as the official opening event for the country’s annual Teuila Festival and kicks off the 3rd U.N. S.I.D.S Conference hosted by Samoa that same week.

“We’re proud to host the Ray of Hope Concert and excited to work with an outstanding cast of pacific artists and Dawn Raid Entertainment,” said Pepe.

“Digicel is committed to staging a memorable event for all that’s certain to leave a lasting impression and raise the awareness of SVSG pushing forward its fight against violence.”

The Ray of Hope is not just another concert. Behind the rave and excitement is a heartwarming story that sets it apart from the rest.

The Concert is a tribute to the late Raymond Fruean, a prominent figure in the Samoan music and entertainment industry; and a strong advocate for Pacific Island artists and music.

In memoriam of the late DJ and businessman as well as his contributions to his community, friends of ‘Ray’, as he was known, have banded together to create the Ray of Hope concert.

Two of those friends are Brotha D and Andy Murnane from NZ label Dawn Raid Entertainment, have come on board as event managers for the show. The connection was made with Digicel to sponsor the concert who in turn tied in the cause with their community partners, the Samoa Victims Support Group (SVSG).

“Ray has been a big part of Dawn Raid returning every year to Samoa since 2005. We want to raise as much money for this great cause in memory of a good friend”, expressed Brotha D.

Proceeds from the August event will be donated to the Samoa Victim Support Group.

“SVSG is taking a stand to end violence in our communities, supporting all victims,” said Mrs Chang.

“We applaud the organisers of the Ray of Hope concert and pay tribute to the late Raymond Fruean. This cause not only supports our young mothers and their babies but continues to raise the awareness of our communities that we can make a difference”, she said.

"It is an absolute need for SVSG and what Digicel is doing is something we cannot do ourselves and is long overdue. We are so thankful for this support from the team at Digicel and look forward to making this dream a reality.”

Funds will be directed to assist the group with the development of a much-needed maternity shelter for victims of sexual violence and to contribute towards its running and up-keep; providing basic necessities for the girls including food, water, electricity and baby supplies.

Tickets for the concert are available from all Digicel stores and are on sale now.

One more product from Samoa will soon appear on the shelves of chosen outlets in New Zealand.

Talofa Spirits and Liqueur, the company famous in Samoa for producing Niu Voka, is launching in Auckland next month.

Marketing Manager, Shalamayne Rankin, said the alcohol drink would be distributed in New Zealand by Rankin Boys Limited.

When that happens, it will be the first time the company has ventured overseas with this particular product.

Ms Rankin is confident there is a market in Auckland for Niu Voka. She says a big part of that market involves Samoans living there.

“It is exactly the same product [sold here] but we are trying to keep it in the same packaging so that it can still be affordable,” she said.

This venture is not a first for the company overseas.

It already has had four shipments of Niu Voka to American Samoa where their products are distributed by Island Style.

The company also recently launched in Samoa its wine range created from healthy ingredients such as nonu juice and niu. On top of that, they also have sasalapa, ginger and coffee liqueurs.

“This project demonstrates the U.S. Government’s continuing commitment to expand its engagement with the Pacific region.”

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) held a workshop for select civil society, academic and private sector organisations yesterday.

The occasion was also used to announce the five-year, US$24-million Pacific-American Climate Fund (PACAM) at the Tanoa Tusitala Conference Center.

Administered by Partners for Global Research and Development, PACAM awards grants to the abovementioned organizations to support innovative projects that reduce long-term vulnerabilities associated with climate change and provide additional “co-benefits”, such as livelihood enhancement, food security, improved health, better governance, and sustainable natural resource management.

During the PACAM’s official launch in March of this year, USAID/Pacific Islands Mission Director Gloria D. Steele said, “PACAM will support initiatives that will help reduce long-term vulnerabilities associated with climate change and achieve a sustainable, climate-resilient development at community level.”

“This project demonstrates the U.S. Government’s continuing commitment to expand its engagement with the Pacific region,” Director Steele added.

The PACAM facility aims to support projects focused on climate change adaptation in the areas of natural resources and water management, and livelihood development and income diversification.

The grant facility spans 12 Pacific Island Countries: Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

The Samoa College Old Pupils Association (S.C.O.P.A) raised $64,167 when it opened its gymnasium project recently.

Chairman of the S.C.O.P.A gym project, Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi, confirmed the amount during an interview with the Samoa Observer.

Lealailepule said $30,540 was raised from gifts during the opening ceremony and $33,627 was raised during a Fiafia Night held prior to the opening.

“We had a great night on our Fiafia Night,” he said. “We had former students turning out in numbers to support the activity and it was wonderful to see everyone come out to support the project.”

“At this point, I would like to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to everyone for donating so generously during our Fiafia

Night and during the official opening of the Samoa College Gymnasium.”

Lealailepule said the project was the result of a desire to give back to the school that helped many of them reach where they are today.

“This is not the end,” he said. “We will keep on working together so that this new gym will be well maintained and benefit the whole community, not just Samoa College.”

The gymnasium was officially opened by Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, two Saturdays ago.

“To the extent that results in higher prices for the raw fish, that will impact on the competitiveness of the product from the Samoa’s in the world markets.”

American Samoa Governor, Lolo Matalasi Moliga, believes that Bumble Bee Company’s plans to set up operations in Samoa threatens the “financial viability” of cannery operations in American Samoa.

He was referring to companies like StarKist Samoa and Tri Marine International’s Samoa Tuna Processors Inc.

The Governor mentioned Bumble Bee’s plans in Samoa in a recent letter to Lori Faeth, the acting Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas of the U.S. Department of Interior.

The letter covered issues pertaining to Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) for American Samoa in the current and next fiscal year.

In his letter, the Governor says the recent execution of the Memorandum of Understanding between Bumble Bee and independent Samoa “threatens the financial viability of our two canneries”.

“The competitive advantage of these two assets (the canneries) will be compromised, not only because of the exemption of Bumble Bee from Federal minimum wage,” but also from U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and “many other Federal regulatory requirements.”

Tri Marine Vice President of production, Dan Sullivan told Samoa News that the “primary impact” from Bumble Bee when it opens “will be in the competition for raw material.”

“To the extent that results in higher prices for the raw fish, that will impact on the competitiveness of the product from the Samoas in the world markets.”

“We have no concerns about competing with anyone, but believe it should be on a ‘level playing field’. If grants, subsidies or aid are used to build a competing plant, the American Samoa tuna industry will be at a disadvantage,” he said.

StarKist corporate offices have not yet responded to Samoa News questions on what impact they believe Bumble Bee will have on their local operations.

San Diego based Bumble Bee is planning a processing plant for pre-cooked loins and frozen tuna products in Samoa and expects to break ground before the end of 2014, while operations are planned to begin in the fourth quarter of 2015, according to the company’s CEO and president, Chris Lischewski.

Meanwhile, Lolo told Faeth that with financial constraints causing challenges for the federal government, “it is imperative that we aggressively engage in the process of bolstering our economic base.”

“If people have income, the complaints associated with the high costs of government services, especially healthcare services will be subdued.”

The Special Olympics Samoa National Games ended in Apia last Friday with a colourful closing ceremony that included a parade of athletes and dance item from every team.

Exactly one week after the games were officially opened by Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, the athletes said goodbye to their new friends for another year.

The athletes were welcomed home by their families and friends as champions regardless of the outcome their placing in the events.

Assistant C.E.O-Sports Division of M.E.S.C, Luatua Seumanutafa Epati presented every athlete with a certificate of participation and photo of their team in uniform. These photos now hold pride of place along with medals in the athletes’ homes.

Atilua Sa’e of Senese was part of the team that won gold in the Cricket competition and bronze in the Soccer competition. He also finished with a silver medal in Shot Put.

“It was ‘ofo’ofogia’ (Outstanding),” he said. When asked to pick his highlights, he said: “The opening ceremony, the parade, my medal ceremonies and the movie night at the Apollo cinema.”

Two years on from the last National Games, the shift up in the standard of competition was obvious to those watching the games.

Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics Samoa, Tusitina Nu’uvali said; “The technical and tactical abilities on display was a tribute to the hours of coaching and training provided by our unemployed volunteer coaches around the islands in the grassroot level. This has given us confidence unemployed youth program is a successful initiative.”

The week long celebrations made headlines across the country and the National Games provided all Samoans with a reminder to focus on the abilities that they have been gifted regardless of the barriers and hurdles that they may face physically, mentally or socially.

With the memories of the National Games fresh in the minds of the coaches, the Special Olympics Samoa selection panel will sit to select the team to travel to the 2015 Los Angeles World Games. Samoa has been granted a 20 athlete team across three disciplines Bocce, Athletics and Football.

Caught on camera here are some of the special memories from the Games.

Utility playmaker Ben Roberts will join Castleford Tigers from Australian NRL side Melbourne Storm on a two-year deal from 2015.

Melborne, (Dailymail) July 16, 2014 - Castleford have announced the signing of Ben Roberts from Melbourne Storm on a two-year deal from the start of 2015.

The 28-year-old, who has played over 130 games in the NRL, will link up with the Tigers over the winter, with an option to stay for a third year at the end of his contract.

“I only signed at the Storm for one year, and we were not quite sure what I was going to do after this year, in terms of hanging around or possibly going overseas,” said Roberts, who represented Samoa in last year’s World Cup and has also previously played for New Zealand.

“I suggested to my manager that we should have a fish out and about, just to see what was out there.”

“It just so happened that Castleford came in the picture, so I was trying to find out a bit of information about the club. I heard nothing but good things about the club, and they came from people who had played there in the past.”

Tigers coach Daryl Powell, who tried to get Roberts on board last year when he left the Parramatta Eels, was delighted to have finally got his man.

“I am delighted to sign Ben, who is a player we tried to sign last season before his move to Melbourne,” Powell said.

“His qualities are ideally suited to the First Utility Super League in England, with his strength, speed and agility a massive part of his game. His left-footed kicking game is another aspect that will dovetail neatly into the squad for next year.”

“Ben has years of NRL experience, but I really believe his best form is in front of him, and I am confident our club will see those years as we strive to constantly improve our performance levels.”

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, has cautioned his opponents against jumping to conclusion over fresh allegations against the Associate Minister of Trade, Muagututagata Peter Ah Him.

Asked for a comment yesterday, Tuilaepa reminded about the notion that a person is innocent until proven guilty.

“At the moment, it is only an accusation,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s opinion was sought after Muagututagata appeared before the Supreme Court earlier this week.

Represented by his lawyer, Fepulea’i Patrick Fepulea’i, the Associate Minister pleaded not guilty to allegations of defrauding and the misappropriation of funds.

The allegations relate to money belonging to a Chinese company called Grand Ocean Industries (Samoa) Ltd, in which he owned 10 per cent shares.

Yesterday, Tuilaepa said Muagututagata should be given an award.

“The truth is that the Associate Minister should be awarded a gold medal for creating news,” said Tuilaepa.

“He is probably the only Member of Parliament who is well known in Parliament for creating so much news to fill your newspaper.

“Having said that, the Associate Minister cannot be said to have broken the law unless the allegation is proven.”

Prime Minister Tuilaepa also stood by his Associate Minister.

He referred to a “similar situation” involving M.P Levaopolo Talatonu recently. This involved charges against the M.P. over a container of goods.

After a lengthy Court process, the charges against Levaopolo were dismissed.

Tuilaepa said it’s important not to be too quick to jump to conclusions.

“There were many opinions expressed about it,” he said about the allegations against Levaopolo. “But in the end, the Court had a different ruling – different from what you gossipers wanted.”

Muagututagata, who made headlines recently for an incident involving the Police and the deputy Prime Minister, is scheduled to appear in Court on November 10 to face the charges.

The world is a state of shock and mourning after a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 with 298 people aboard was shot down by a surface-to-air missile yesterday.

Ukrainian separatists or Russian troops are suspected to be the missile operators.

Body parts strewn through kilometres of debris, luggage littered down country roads, smouldering remnants of a passenger plane in a cornfield: the terrible carnage at the east Ukraine crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. "These poor people," says shell-shocked local resident Natalia, standing in front of her home near the epicentre of the devastation.

"Do you think they understood anything about this war in Ukraine? Even we don't understand it." In a nearby field the tail fin of the Boeing-777 painted with the colours of Malaysia Airlines lay in a meadow with some of the baggage and personal items of the 298 people on board littered around.

Dozens of brutally mutilated corpses lie among the debris. The torsos of two passengers remain strapped into the charred remnants of their seats.

In the middle of country lane a severed foot bears witness to the ferocity of the disaster.

There are no traces of any survivors.

"I don't see how anyone could have come through this," says Oleg, a separatist fighter, adding that he helped collect 13 bodies. "They were in pieces."

Eyewitnesses told AFP that there was a loud explosion and the plane appeared to disintegrate in mid-air before debris rained down. People in a village some 9 kilometres away reported finding remnants of the plane.

At least one New Zealander could have been on board a crashed Malaysia Airlines flight which is believed to have been shot down over the Ukrainian border.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials were "following up on indications that at least one New Zealand passport holder, and other passengers with New Zealand connections, may have been on board", Foreign Affairs Minister Tupa’i Murray McCully said.

"The ministry is working hard to confirm these details and make contact with the next of kin.""Our thoughts are with all the families of those on board as they wait for news. Latest reports suggest that more than 295 people may have died in the crash," Mr McCully said in a statement.

"It is important that the matter be fully investigated and we call for independent investigators to be allowed access to the crash site." The crash was a tragedy, he said, extending his condolences on behalf of all New Zealanders to the families of those on board.

"I had just gone to sleep at around 1600 (1am NZ time) when I heard an enormous bang," Katya, 64, said. "It was like an earthquake."

Her son-in-law Alexander, 43, points at blackened burn marks on the fence around his farm that was scorched by the flaming shards falling from the sky.

Nearby lie a landing gear and a large chunk of the plane's fuselage.

"The grapevines have also been burnt. We were very, very lucky" to have escaped unharmed," he says.

Up till now the fighting that has rocked eastern Ukraine had not affected their quiet homestead but over the past several days the rumble of fighting has reached a neighbouring district closer to the Russian border and the occasional Ukrainian fighter jet had whooshed overhead.

The first help arrived some 20 minutes after the crash happened but there appeared to be no hope of finding anyone alive.

Two fire fighters stand in a field holding a water hose and seemingly helpless before the scale of the destruction.

"Our bosses need to set up a headquarters here and tell us what we can do and then we will do it," one of them says despondently.

As night falls over the site, there are neither lights nor frantic recovery operation.

The firefighters are illuminated by the headlamps of their trucks and in the fields lie the victims of the disaster.

AIDS conference attendees were on the downed Malaysian jet. Several passengers on board a Malaysian jetliner shot down over Ukraine were world-renowned researchers heading to an international AIDS conference in Australia.

"A number of people" on board the Boeing 777 were en route to the southern Australian city of Melbourne to attend the 20th International AIDS conference, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop told reporters in Brisbane.

Among the passengers was former president of the International AIDS Society Joep Lange, a well-known HIV researcher from the Netherlands, opposition leader Bill Shorten said in parliament.

"There are Australians who would have planned to be at the airport tomorrow night to greet friends and family - amongst them, some of the world's leading AIDS experts," Shorten said. "The cost of this will be felt in many parts of the world."

Former US President Bill Clinton will deliver an address at next week's AIDS conference, which brings together thousands of scientists and activists from around the world to discuss the latest developments in HIV and AIDS research.

House of Representatives Speaker Bronwyn Bishop called for a moment of silence in parliament to honour the victims, adding that she was scheduled to address the AIDS conference.

"I know there will be many empty spots," Bishop said. "And I think that what we're doing is mourning with all of the world and all that had been lost. And we want to see justice but in a measured way."

The International AIDS Society issued a statement expressing its grief over the news that several of its colleagues and friends were on board.

"At this incredibly sad and sensitive time the IAS stands with our international family and sends condolences to the loved ones of those who have been lost to this tragedy," the group said.

The dead passengers were from nearly a dozen nations - including vacationers, students and a group heading to an AIDS conference in Australia - when the plane was shot down Thursday while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur

AAP - World leaders demanded that pro-Russia rebels who control the eastern Ukraine crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 give immediate, unfettered access to independent investigators to determine who shot down the plane.

At an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council yesterday, the United States pointed blame at the separatists, saying Washington believes the jetliner carrying 298 people, including 80 children, likely was downed by an SA-11 missile, and "we cannot rule out technical assistance from Russian personnel."

Both the White House and the Kremlin called for peace talks in the conflict between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-speaking separatists who seek closer ties to Moscow.

Heavy fighting was reported less than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the crash site, with an estimated 20 civilians reported killed.

Emergency workers and local coal miners recovered bodies from grasslands and fields of sunflowers, where the wreckage of the

Boeing 777 fell Friday.

About 30 officials, mostly from the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, arrived at the crash site between the villages of Rozsypne and Hrabove, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Russian border.

The rebels allowed the team to perform a very partial and superficial inspection. While the delegation was leaving under orders from the armed overseers, two Ukrainian members lingered to look at a fragment of the plane by a roadside, only for a militiaman to fire a warning shot in the air with his Kalashnikov.

The dead passengers were from nearly a dozen nations - including vacationers, students and a group heading to an AIDS conference in Australia - when the plane was shot down Thursday while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

President Barack Obama, disclosing that one American was among those killed, called it "a global tragedy."

"An Asian airliner was destroyed in European skies filled with citizens from many countries, so there has to be a credible international investigation into what happened," he said.

In Kiev, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk vented his anger in calling for an international investigation.

"We ask all respective governments ... to support the Ukrainian government to bring to justice all these bastards who committed this international crime," he said.

All sides in the conflict - the Ukrainian government, the pro-Russia rebels they are fighting and the Russian government that Ukraine accuses of supporting the rebels - denied shooting down the plane. Moscow also denies backing the rebels.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed accusations that Moscow could be behind the attack.

"Regarding those claims from Kiev that we allegedly did it ourselves: I have not heard a truthful statement from Kiev for months," he told the Rossiya 24 television channel.

At the Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said the missile was likely fired from a rebel-held area near the Russian border.

Power said that early Thursday, a journalist saw an SA-11 system - known in Russia as a Buk missile system - in separatist-controlled territory near Snizhne, "and separatists were spotted hours before the incident with an SA-11 SAM system close to the site where the plane came down."

"Separatists initially claimed responsibility for shooting down a military transport plane, and claimed responsibility and posted videos that are now being connected to the Malaysian Airlines crash," Power said. "Separatist leaders also boasted on social media about shooting down a plane, but later deleted these messages."

"Because of the technical complexity of the SA-11, it is unlikely that the separatists could effectively operate the system without assistance from knowledgeable personnel. Thus, we cannot rule out technical assistance from Russian personnel in operating the systems," she said.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin did not respond to the U.S. allegations.

Ukraine's Interior Ministry released a video purporting to show a truck carrying the Buk missile launcher it said was used to fire on the plane with one of its four missiles apparently missing. The ministry said the video was shot by a police surveillance squad at dawn Friday as the truck headed toward the Russian border.

There was no way to independently verify the video.

The entire Security Council called for "a full, thorough and independent international investigation, in accordance with international civil aviation guidelines, and for appropriate accountability." It stressed the need for "immediate access by investigators to the crash site to determine the cause of the incident."

Obama also called for such an investigation, adding: "The eyes of the world are on eastern Ukraine, and we are going to make sure that the truth is out."

He also called for a cease-fire in the conflict between the separatists and Ukrainian forces. At a Kremlin meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged that "all sides in the conflict should halt their fighting and enter into peaceful talks," according to an official website.

On Thursday, Putin blamed Ukraine for the crash, saying Kiev was responsible for the unrest in its Russian-speaking eastern regions. But he didn't accuse Ukraine of shooting the plane down and didn't address the key question of whether Russia gave the rebels such a powerful missile.

Ukraine's state aviation service closed the airspace Friday over two border regions gripped by separatist fighting - Donetsk and Luhansk - and Russian airlines suspended all flights over Ukraine.

Luhansk, a rebel stronghold northeast of Hrabove, saw sustained fighting Friday as Ukrainian government forces reportedly retook part of the city from the rebels.

City officials estimated at least 20 civilians had been killed in shelling. One resident told The Associated Press that street-to-street fighting had continued into the night.

Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey said government troops had retaken the southeast section of the city.

There was uncertainty over whether Flight 17's flight data and cockpit voice recorders had been recovered.

Washington (Reuters) 19 July 2014 - President Barack Obama said on Friday the downing of a Malaysian jetliner in a Ukrainian region controlled by Russian-backed separatists should be a "wake-up call" for the West in its drive to hold

Moscow accountable for a crisis that appears to be at a turning point.

While stopping short of blaming Russia for Thursday's crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH 17, in which 298 people died, Obama accused Russia of failing to stop the violence that made it possible to shoot down the plane. The United States has said the jetliner was hit by a surface-to-air missile fired from rebel territory.

A senior U.S. official said there was increasing confidence that the missile was fired by separatists and that there was no reason to doubt the validity of a widely circulated audiotape in which voices identified as separatists discussed the downing of the plane.

"This certainly will be a wake-up call for Europe and the world that there are consequences to an escalating conflict in eastern Ukraine; that it is not going to be localized, it is not going to be contained," Obama told reporters.

Obama spoke by phone later with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. The White House said they discussed Ukraine and the downed jet and the need for an unimpeded international investigation into what happened.

Increasing international demands for an investigation into the crash present Obama with the opportunity, at least temporarily, to counter the perception that his presidency's global influence is eroding and to exert leadership at a time when his domestic and foreign policy initiatives appear to be faltering.

Television broadcasts of pro-Russian rebels sifting through the remains of the Boeing 777-200 divert attention from a crisis in the United States involving child migrants on the southern U.S. border and crises abroad including Israel's ground assault in Gaza and Islamist gains in Iraq.

Under siege by critics who pan his global approach as ineffective, Obama faces a test of whether he can whip up enough international support to help defuse one of the biggest crises of his presidency: the worst collapse in East-West relations since the end of the Cold War.

Tougher message

Obama toughened his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a day after Putin complained in a phone call to Obama about new U.S. sanctions directed in part at Russia's energy sector.

In an example of how Obama and Putin are still able to communicate with each other despite months of bitter differences, it was revealed on Thursday that Obama learned of the airline disaster from Putin during their phone call.

Now, Obama's goal is to tighten the clamps on Russia and force Putin to back down, something the Russian president has refused to do since the Ukraine crisis erupted earlier this year.

Obama must also convince German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders to take a more aggressive posture against Russia's activities in Ukraine in the wake of the Malaysia Air crash.

European leaders, sensitive to the damage Russia could inflict on their economies by, for example, cutting off natural gas supplies, have imposed sanctions that are less ambitious than the United States would like.

Obama called the crash a "global tragedy."

Putting pressure on Moscow, Obama told the news conference, "The violence that's taking place there is facilitated in large part because of Russian support. If Mr. Putin makes a decision that we are not going to allow heavy armaments and the flow of fighters into Ukraine across the Ukrainian-Russian border, then it will stop.

19 July 2014 - The last words of a New Zealander who was killed on the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 were to tell his family he loved them.

Robert Ayley emailed his family just before getting on the flight in the Netherlands capital of Amsterdam, a few hours before the plane was shot down over the Ukraine.

"Right now, I'm just looking forward to seeing the boys and Sharlene. It's been a long, long journey," wrote Mr Ayley, in an email released today by his family.

"We've seen the world's greatest Rottweilers, we have established contacts, and made life long friends, but now I'm just ready to come home."

"I hope all is well, if we don't talk before hand, I will see you on Saturday. Lots of Love. Rob"

His family issued a statement in which they spoke of his love for his widow Sharlene and their two young boys, aged 4 and 2.

"It was Rob's dream to bring the best of Europe blood lines into his breeding programme in New Zealand so that Rotweillers could once again be the noble and safe dogs they have the potential to be.”

Ayley was always passionate about life, there were no half measures. He was passionate about his family too. He found in his boys two little people he could love, understand and trust. When they cried they were sad, when they laughed they were happy and when they hugged it was because they loved him.

He struggled to interpret body language and innuendo but he could understand his boys.

Sharlene and Rob are soul mates. She is his 'princess.' She changed his life and he changed hers.

She held his heart and he held hers. Rob will live forever in his family.

Robert Ayley's final email:

"So yes, here we are. Last day in Europe. My flight is at 12 tomorrow. Right now, I'm just looking forward to seeing the boys and Sharlene. It's been a long, long journey.

We've seen the world's greatest Rottweilers, we have established contacts, and made life long friends, but now I'm just ready to come home.

I hope all is well, if we don't talk before hand, I will see you on Saturday.

Lots of Love
Rob"

When paying external debts, there are two important indicators you have to look at. According to Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, they are Foreign Reserve and Government Revenue.

“Tourism contributes enormously to our foreign exchange earnings,” he said.

“And the foreign currency reserve it creates is used by Government to pay for its external loans. Because these loans are not paid with Samoan currency.

“Our foreign reserve balance which gravitates up to six months is very strong.”

Though Samoa has debts of around $960 million, said the Prime Minister, it only pays a small fraction annually because the country has been borrowing on soft terms.

“Our debt service ratio is therefore quite manageable. So there is nothing to be worried about.”
In 1980, the Prime Minister said, Samoa only had $15 million tala in external debts and “we had huge problems in paying because we ran out of reserves.”

“Everybody closed their doors to Samoa and we could not acquire any loans.”

“So that is what I have been trying to explain to the Opposition, time and again. It is not the total sum of the debts that is important, it is what you are required to pay each year. And your ability to pay them."

“Nearly all our external loans are at soft terms. Not only are we given very low interest rates – between one and two percent – but the duration of payment is over 20 years. Some other loans only require us to pay the interest for the first 5 to 10 years.”

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
Another important economic measure, says the Prime Minister, is the debt-to-GDP ratio, or percentage.

“GDP relates to the total income earned in the country,” said PM Tuilaepa.

“Our GDP at the moment is approximately $1.6 billion. So if you calculate the debt-to-GDP percentage, you have the total debt as the numerator and the GDP as the denominator, multiplied by 100.

“If you want to improve that percentage, then you build up your denominator, the GDP. Or in simple words, you grow the economy.

“How do you do that? By fiercely engaging in all forms of national development. Establishing and pursuing international development partnerships, attracting foreign investment, building hotels, building IT and communications capabilities, building roads, investing in energy delivery and generation, building airports, building wharves, stimulating business, promoting tourism, developing education so that we have smart, educated and employable young people and improving health service so that we have a strong and healthy population.

“At the same time, we have to safeguard the environment, particularly the soils and water supply as well as promoting our customs, values, traditions and material culture because that is our identity."

The Prime Minister says that many times Government’s vision and pursuit is misconstrued by the Opposition and the media. And in turn, the public and overseas observers tend to be misled.

“I really don’t blame them,” he said.

“Because these are complicated issues that only those with a background in finance and development understand.”

“During a recent trip to Germany, I met with their top officials and I told them the claims were false. I told them I drink ava and I don’t have problems with my liver”

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, has dismissed a call from kava growers for the government to bring back the kava bonus scheme.

The idea is to revive interest in the industry to prepare Samoa for an anticipated boom in demand for the herb following the lifting of the kava ban in Germany.

During his weekly media session, Tuilaepa rejected the call.

Instead, he said if anybody wants to grow kava, they don’t need a bonus scheme to start.

“They don’t need a stimulus package to encourage them,” he said, adding that people should just take the initiative to plant the herb.

Last week, one of the biggest ava growers in the country, Mau’u Siaosi Pu’epu’emai, of Samamea Fagaloa, made a small plea to the government.

He urged them to put money where their mouth is to develop the industry into something that would benefit Samoa in the future.

The call followed a decision by a High Court in Germany to lift the nation’s 12-year ban on ava products. The decision opens an opportunity for famers in Samoa to once again pursue this revenue stream.

Mau’u said the government must urgently begin the process of encouraging ava farmers to get back into growing the crop.

“Now we have the market back on track, the question is do we have enough to supply the market,” he said. “The answer to this question depends on the growers and farmers.”

At the moment, Mau’u said there are not enough ava plants in Samoa if there is a sudden demand for ava products. It should not stay that way forever, though, Mau’u says.

“The only way that I think would be effective and would help the industry get back on its feet is for the government to offer a bonus for ava,” he says.

“We have a stimulus package for planting koko and coconuts. Why can’t we have one for the ava industry again?”

“There is a big market for us in Europe and if farmers are not assisted by the government, we would struggle and we will not be able to meet the needs of the market.”

Tuilaepa said the decision to lift the ban is encouraging. He said pharmaceutical companies who pushed to ban ava products felt threatened by the potential of the product.

“During a recent trip to Germany, I met with their top officials and I told them the claims were false,” he said. “I told them I drink ava and I don’t have problems with my liver.”

“They claimed that ava caused liver problems. This is not true. It is something that was created by these companies when they noticed that their profits would be affected by the ava.”

Tuilaepa added: “When you drink two cups of ava, you feel happy and strong.”

Referring to history, Tuilaepa said ava has been around for decades.

According to authors who wrote about the arrival of Captain Cook in Tonga, he said, they claim that the people who greeted him were drunk with ava and openly welcomed captain Cook.

“At that time, people of Tonga were cannibals and when Captain Cook arrived it is believed that the people (of Tonga) had an ava ceremony and felt drunk so when they saw Captain Cook they kissed him and Captain Cook then wrote down and named them the Friendly Island.”

Tuilaepa reiterated that ava is a good drink that makes people happy and strong.

Farmers and vendors braving the rain and the boiling sun on the streets of Fugalei are slowly losing hope.

Since the government has failed on more than one occasion to complete the Fugalei market on deadline, the mood at Fugalei yesterday was discouraging.

The Sunday Samoan sought the opinions of farmers after yet another deadline was given by construction workers for the project.

“How much longer is it going to take,” asked Joe Chanboon, a disappointed farmer from Aleisa.

“First they said it would finish in March and now it’s September and yet the market looks nothing like it’s close to being finished.”

“We are tired of the lies, we are tired of being ridiculed. For most of us, we’ve resolved to stop thinking about it because we are tired of being disappointed.”

Mr. Chanboon said he is one of the many farmers who were forced to move to the streets to sell his produce when the old Fugalei Market was demolished nearly three years ago. He admitted that although being exposed to the sun and the rain is a challenge, he said he has no choice because he has to make some money for his family.

“We had no other option but to sell on the streets just to be close to the market,” said Mr. Chanboon.

“I don’t need to tell you how hard it is, you can see how hard it is. We eat all the fumes and dust from the road. It gets worse when we don’t make any money.”
Mr. Chanboon is not alone.

“The Market should’ve been finished by now,” said Alei Mikaele from Tanumapua.

“I know it’s tough selling things on the footpath but this has been the only way for us farmers to raise our families.”

“Some of us come a long way from home to be in the rain and sun the whole day selling our stuff but that’s because without money from here, we have nothing else.”

Ms. Mikaele suggested that perhaps the government could have asked the farmers to help with the construction to speed it up.

“Sometimes I see workers doing their job and sometimes I randomly see them doing anything,” she said.

“Maybe that’s why it’s being delayed.”

For some farmers, they say that the longer there would be a delay; it would be the longer they would have to cope with the sun and rain. “I have nothing much to say,” said Tina Fa’aleleiga.

“I just pray that the government can keep their promise that the market will be finished by September so we can finally have some shade over our heads.”

But not everyone is finding the delay problematic.

Farmers who have found space inside the Tole’afoa Fa’afisi Market are not fussed.

“If its September that they say the market would be finished then let it be,” said Aitauia Mauluulu.

“It’s good if it takes that long so that the market would be strong and complete when it’s eventually finished rather than rushing everything and then they would have to renovate it a few years later.”

Koleti Samuelu Faleupolu agrees.

“I’m just thankful that the market is now up,” said Ms. Faleupolu.

“As long as there’s going to be a market then it wouldn’t be a problem at all.

“Maybe the delay is not such a bad idea so that when the people for the Small Island Developing States Conference come they’ll see how unfinished and unprepared Samoa is as a host country,” she laughed.

The ruling Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) has named four candidates to contest next month’s by-election for Gagaifomaiuga No. 1.

The by-election follows the death of M.P., Tuilo’a Anitele’a Tuilo’a (pictured below).

According to Radio New Zealand International, the four candidates, who include a former Cabinet Minister, were endorsed during a party committee meeting.

A former Minister of Justice and Legislative Assembly, Gaina Tino, is the frontrunner.

The former Director and C.E.O of Radio 2AP, Faimalotoa Kolotita Stowers will give him a good run for his money.

The other two H.R.P.P candidates are Lavea Ieti and Taito Vaea Tanu.

The Tautua Samoa opposition party has yet to announce a candidate.

The Electoral Commissioner, Papali’i Malietau Malietoa, says the by-election will be held on Friday 15 August.

“This is why I enjoyed the training very much. It has given me a wider range of understanding about Samsung TVs and their different functions”

PR - The Samsung team from New Zealand visited Samoa last week to train all the technicians at Samoa Stationery and Books (SSAB).

The Audio Visual Training which focused on fixing Samsung TVs, took place at SSAB Megastore’s Conference Room.

The training was designed to provide after sales support for SSAB customers if something should go wrong with their TVs purchased from them.

Eight SSAB technicians attended the two-day training (pictured above).

Faletoi Sua, who was among the participants, said the training was extremely helpful.

“Samsung TVs may look very big and when people come in with their problems, they think it will be difficult to fix but the solution is very simple,” he said.

“This is why I enjoyed the training very much. It has given me a wider range of understanding about Samsung TVs and their different functions.”

The training was conducted by Samsung expert, Cresenciano Nuezca.

Working with SSAB’s technicians, he taught them how to open the TVs without damaging it, troubleshoot and diagnose the problem using a Gig Toolkit.

They were also taught on how to distinguish between external and internal damage on the motherboard (ie. external damage is physical damage caused by the customer and internal damage is caused by the manufacturer).

“Samsung TVs are highly recommended to Samoan people because of its good quality, clear images and also its smart functions,” another participant, Savelio Vito said.

“A Smart TV can be controlled from your phone if both gadgets are from Samsung.”

Hayley Roberts, from Samsung, said the significance of the training is to ensure the after sales support is available for SSAB’s customers.

“Samsung and SSAB are always working hand in hand to ensure the best and latest technology is available for our people.”

(3NEWS) 19 JULY 2014 - Valerie Adams rounded off a perfect Commonwealth Games preparation with a dominant victory at the Diamond League meet in Monte Carlo on Friday night.

Adams claimed her 53rd straight win with a best effort of 20.38m.

Any of the powerhouse New Zealander's four legal throws would have been good enough for first place, with German Christina Schwanitz a distant second with 19.54m.

Adams, 29, is the unbackable favourite to add a third straight Commonwealth title in Glasgow to a bulging trophy cabinet that also includes two Olympic golds and a record four straight world championship crowns.

"The big focus for me this year is the Commonwealth Games and obviously I now switch all my attentions there," Adams told AAP.

"My goal there is to get another championship medal and obviously win another gold for New Zealand."

Adams was surprised that Schwanitz did not push her harder at the Stade Louis II.

The shot put shapes as a rich potential source of medals for New Zealand in Glasgow.

Adams - who leads the 2104 world rankings with 20.46m - is at the shortest of odds to claim the women's crown.

Cleopatra Borel from Trinidad and Tobago - who was fourth on Friday night - is the next best performed Commonwealth athlete this year with a best of 19.10m.

Youngsters Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill are also genuine medal hopes in the men's shot put, although Adams is too modest to claim much credit for their recent success.

"Everybody takes up shot for their own reasons," she said.

"But I would like to think I was able to bring track and field up in New Zealand."

"I think the Commonwealth Games will be very interesting for New Zealand and it should be pretty successful as well."

Hercules – a.k.a. Heracles – son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene, famously endured Twelve Labours.

By way of counterpoint, the guy portraying him in a major motion picture, Seiuli Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, endured 150 days of intense physiotherapy and physical training after traumatic injury sustained in a wrestling ring and a hernia operation.

As portrayed in the movie, the post-Labours Hercules was unsure of himself, coasting on his reputation and looking for something to believe in.

Seiuli, pre-Hercules, was wondering whether the gods were telling him to take it easy.

“Y’know, it’s funny,” a casual and friendly Seiuli says during an interview in a Toronto hotel room prior to the release of the $110 million Hercules with Joseph Fiennes, John Hurt and Ian McShane.

“We have these moments in life where you’re thinking, ‘Is the universe trying to tell me to do something else? Romantic comedies maybe? Is that what’s in the cards? Am I just not listening?’”

The problem – at least as far as the insurance companies go – is that, despite being billed as Dwayne, the 42-year-old Johnson just can’t quit being The Rock every so often.

The event that almost gave two studios and director Brett Ratner a heart attack was a WWE WrestleMania match last year at New York’s MetLife Stadium, where John Cena “beat” him in front of 60,000 fans (part of a verbal agreement he has with Vince McMahon to add his name and fame to WrestleMania events).

It’s understood these days that wrestling has “plotlines,” – i.e. it’s scripted. But the punishment is often real – as Seiuli discovered when he walked into his doctor’s office to hear he had torn his adductor and rectus muscles “practically right off the hip.”

His choices: surgery, and a year of physio, or cross your fingers and trust the “shreds” of tendon to reattach with scar tissue via physiotherapy.

“I told the doctor, ‘I have a movie to shoot in six weeks!’ He said, ‘Does it involve a lot of physical activity?’ I said, ‘It’s Hercules, so… yeah.’”

Faced with a similarly torn quad tendon, I took the surgery. But I’m not Dwayne Johnson, and there’s not a literal cast of thousands waiting in Budapest for me to start work.“Because it was such a big movie, the crew had been there for four to six months already, prepping, building these massive sets. “And in the entertainment business, if you push a project of that magnitude, the likelihood of it coming back with the same cinematographer, the same director, same players, is slim to none. “So I wanted to keep everything intact.

I called Brett Ratner and said, ‘I’m walking with a limp, let’s see where I am in six weeks.’”

Then, as his muscles were being assessed, a lump was found in his abdomen. Back to the doctor.

“I dropped trou, and the doctor said, ‘Wow, that’s one big hernia!’”

In fact, while operating, surgeons found three hernias.

“I called MGM and they had to push the movie by two weeks, which was a million dollars a week.”

Life for Johnson during the 95-day shoot was “entirely dedicated to healing. At 3:30, 4 in the morning wake up for cardio, had the cardio machine in my room, had food ready. Every minute was accounted for when I was doing something that supported the healing.”

In the movie, based on the Thracian Wars graphic novel by Steve Moore, the son of Zeus finds purpose by intervening on the side of good in a war against Thrace.

As for Johnson, he found his mojo in a Thracian battle scene on the first day of filming. “It was a very epic scene, battling these warriors who you see in the trailer, are all painted green. There are massive, sword-swinging, action sequences, I’m riding a chariot.

“As you start to swing that sword, that’s when you feel the tightness. But little by little, the conditioning takes hold.” In long hair and wearing Hercules’ trademark lion’s head, this is not a familiar Dwayne Johnson. “The lion head-dress, while very iconic, was a pain the ass. It was heavy and it didn’t have a chin-strap, so it would fall off during fighting. It was take after take after take. It was a three-hour process every day, and I really only felt like Hercules when they put that last bit of armour on.”

If Johnson is hearing a siren-call away from punishing action films, it’ll be tough to escape. Hollywood now considers him a “franchise saver,” after injecting Fast & Furious series with new blood in Fast 5 and goosing the box office in the second G.I. Joe movie. He’s set to do a third.

But unlike Hercules, he says it’s not in his nature to coast on past glory. “I could have been in the WWE for an additional 10 or 20 years. I could have done nothing but action movies (indeed, he has put in some decent performances, as a flamboyantly-gay Samoan bodyguard in Be Cool, and as a Christian bodybuilder-turned-coke-addict in Pain & Gain).

As for WrestleMania, his verbal agreement still technically calls for one appearance. If it happens, he says, “I’ll do my best to protect myself.”

From ringside, perhaps.

The evolution of ‘The Rock’

Unquestionably the most successful wrestler to move from mat to movies, here’s a career rundown of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

• Son of Canadian wrestler Rocky Johnson and grandson of Samoan wrestler Peter Malvia.

• Attended high school in Honolulu, ran afoul of police for petty thefts and fighting. Years later, while shooting Journey 2: Mysterious Island in Hawaii, “I passed by places I was arrested, and it was very reflective,” he told us. “I was very fortunate to have great parents and coaches who believed in my potential.”

• Played football: For the University of Miami Hurricanes and, briefly, the Calgary Stampeders. “I was making $250 a week, Canadian, and had to move back with my parents when I was cut.”

• Joined the WWF/WWE in 1996 as Rocky Malvia, and the next year adopted the ring name of The Rock. He’d go on to win 10 wrestling World Championships and become the most famous wrestler of his generation.

• In 1997, he posed as a Toronto Sun SUNshine Boy as Rocky Malvia. “Oh my gosh!” Johnson said when he saw a copy of the photo. “The fanny bag, the hair... Look how far I’ve come.”

• First on-camera role, an alien wrestler in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager

• First leading role, the Mummy spinoff The Scorpion King (a character who appeared as a cameo in The Mummy Returns).

• First role anybody took seriously: His flamboyantly-gay Samoan bodyguard character in the film adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s Be Cool, the sequel to Get Shorty (in which he sang You Ain’t Woman Enough To Take My Man). “The critics weren’t kind to that movie, but they were to me.”

• Other movies: Walking Tall, Doom, Gridiron Gang, Journey 2: Mysterious Island, Pain & Gain, Tooth Fairy, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6.

• Soon to be seen in: Fast & Furious 7 and Ballers, an HBO series about professional football players, which he co-exec produced with his Pain & Gain co-star Mark Wahlberg.

• As for Fast 8, Johnson doesn’t know if he’ll be back – or whether there will be an eighth. “...You don’t want to think too far into the future. But... I think because this is the last one with Paul, it would be a good way to go out. It feels good.”

“Samoa did not commit but agreed to consider waiving their entry fee. We have not received word from Samoa yet. We remain willing to proceed but will not waive our fee unless Samoa reciprocates. We made a firm offer. They wanted to think about it. We await their response” – American Samoa Attorney General, Talauega Eleasalo Ale

Samoa and American Samoa appear to be in a stand off to see who blinks first about immigration fees both countries had apparently promised to remove during the recent inter-Samoa talks held in Apia.

Asked if the fees on Samoan citizens entering the territory had been removed, American Samoa’s Attorney General, Talauega Eleasalo Ale, said “no.”

On the outcome statement of the meeting, however, “both sides agreed to look at removing all permit fees to allow for free travel between the two Samoas.”

The fees in question are for the 14-day permit and the 30-day permit to enter American Samoa.

So has the American Samoa Government considered removing all permit fees as stated in the official report?

Talauega explained that “Samoa is considering waiving all their fees that target only American Samoans.”

He pointed out “the fee we offer that applies to Samoan citizens only is the 14-day permit.”

He explained that this was put in place to facilitate travel between the Samoas for Samoan fa’alavalave (family obligations) and other emergencies.

Citizens of Samoa are the only travellers to American Samoa who can qualify for this permit — which is cheaper than the 30-day permit.

As for fees charged by Samoa, he said Samoa charges the $10 fee to American Samoans (U.S. Nationals) only.

“No one else in the world that enters Samoa is charged this fee,” said Talauega.

Talauega further told Samoa News that the Samoan government also charges a $50 transit fee, which he understands targets only American Samoans.

“I am told that this fee has been removed but it is unclear, since airlines are now charging these fees on behalf of the Samoa government,” said the Attorney General.

He noted that if the Samoa government charges a fee that singles out only American Samoans “we want it removed.

“If they charge a fee that applies across the board to citizens of all countries that’s okay, we’ll pay. The American Samoa Government is prepared to do the same thing.”

During a press conference last month, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi said Samoa was waiting for American Samoa so that the process of removing fees could begin.

“The problem is that there are certain issues that American Samoans have limited authority over, given they have to see if this is in line with federal laws.”

He said American Samoa has yet to come to a conclusion because they have to look at federal laws prior to giving a concrete answer.

Tuilaepa said during that press conference that this is the “problem” with the Samoa talks— there are issues where American Samoa has limited power over.

He said ASG asked Samoa to give them two weeks to get back to Samoa on this particular issue.

Asked if the Samoa government had waived their entry fee for US Nationals along with the transit fee, Tuilaepa said “not yet.”

Further he reminded that “the only reason we imposed the entry fee and transit fee [in the first place] was because they (American Samoa) charged and increased the fee for the 14-day permit.”

Talauega does not share the same opinion.

“As you may recall from the report of the meeting, ASG offered to waive our fee for the 14-day permit if Samoa agrees to waive their entry fee which targets only American Samoans.

“Samoa did not commit but agreed to consider waiving their entry fee.

“We have not received word from Samoa yet. We remain willing to proceed but will not waive our fee unless Samoa reciprocates.

“We made a firm offer. They wanted to think about it. We await their response.”

In 2006 Former Attorney General, the late Sialega Malaetasi Togafau had increased the cost of entry permits for Samoa citizens: From $10 to $40 for the 30-day permit, and $10 for the 14-day permit which had been free.

This move did not sit well with Tuilaepa, who then moved for “American Samoans only” to pay an entry permit of USD$10- 40 depending on the length of their stay in Samoa — in addition to a WST$50 transit fee.

*Joyetter Luamanu is a Samoa News Reporter who was in Apia for the inter-Samoa Talks

“There are currently 50 members of the staff and the management suggested that the staff number should be raised because the amount of prisoners is still increasing and the staff is having a difficult time controlling them”

Tafaigata prison is overcrowded, understaffed and is in a “very bad condition.”

That’s what a Parliamentary select committee has told Parliament in a report obtained by the Samoa Observer.

Despite the grim find, however, the Justice, Police and Prisons and Land Titles (J.P.P.L.T) Committee also praised developments at the Prison saying they “witnessed from its visit that the service provided by the Ministry is functioning accordingly and smoothly.”

The Associate Minister of Finance, Tuisa Tasi Patea, serves as the Committee’s Chairman.

“The Committee started off at the males’ side of the compound, three Custody Rooms are in operation at the moment which holds 25 men in each of them,” the J.P.P.L.T Committee reports.

“Due to the Committees observation, the environment of this side of the area is in a very bad condition.

“For that reason, the Committee advised that there should be a First Aid Station provided for the facility in case of sickness or illnesses towards the prisoners and especially the staff members.”

The Committee also noted there are over 500 male prisoners within the facility, whereas the female compound contains 30 in total.

“There are 13 prison cells in total on the men’s side with bed base provided,” the report reads.

“One of the issues that were mentioned by the management is the bad conditions of water sanitation and believes that it should be taken into account as soon as possible.

“There are currently 50 members of the staff and the management suggested that the staff number should be raised because the amount of prisoners is still increasing and the staff is having a difficult time controlling them.

“In terms of food and rations of the prison facility, the Committee discovered a well-prepared room for its storage.

“Although, the Committee considers that the facility must contain a freezer to store other rations in order for it to last longer,” according to the report.

“The management mentioned that at the moment, the food products they store usually lasts for three to four months.

“Also, these foods are supposedly feeding every prisoner, both men and women, as well as those who are in custody.

“The Committee went on to describe the female side of Tafaigata.

“(It) witnessed how exceptional the women’s compound has become,” the report reads.

“Every aspect in the area is currently well stabled from 3 cells, a custody room and the staffs command center.”

The Committee reports that their observations during their visit continued at the female’s side and witnessed how exceptional the women’s compound has become.

“Every aspect in the area is currently well stabled from three cells, a custody room and the staffs command center,” according to the report reports.

In light of what they discovered on this visit, the Committee made three recommendations to government.

“To consider looking at the short number of officers working in the Prison Facility at Tafaigata. The Committee believes that there are an increase number of inmates situated in prison but the current number of staff is weakening to secure the area and performing of other services appointed,” the J.P.P.L.T Committee recommended.

“To consider the situation of its Water Sanitation to be fixed and repaired.

“Consider to establish (sic) a First Aid Station within the prison facility in case of sickness and illness conditions of prisoners as well as officers due to the unhealthy environment of the compound.”

In addition to Tuisa, Afoafouvale John Moors served as the Committee’s Deputy Chairman and

Lafaitele Patrick Leiataualesa, Tapuai Toese Ah Sam, Papali’i Lio Masipau, Lenatai Victor Tamapua, Lefau Harry Schuster served as members.

The report is republished in full below:

The Justice, Police & Prisons and Land Titles Committee recommends that the Assembly takes note of its Report.

1. RESOLUTION:
At the conclusion of its considerations, the Committee resolved to recommend that the
Assembly:-
Approve P.P. 2013/2014 No.78, Ministry of Police & Prisons Annual Report for the
Financial Year 2007-2008.
P.P. 2013/2014 No.79, Ministry of Police & Prisons Annual Report for the Financial Year
2008-2009.

2. RECOMMEDATIONS:
At the conclusion of its findings, the Committee recommends that the Government-
1. To consider looking at the short number of officers working in the Prison Facility at Tafaigata. The Committee believes that there are an increase number of inmates situated in prison but the current number of staff is weakening to secure the area and performing of other services appointed.
2. To consider the situation of its Water Sanitation to be fixed and repaired.
3. Consider to establish a First Aid Station within the prison facility in case of sickness and illness conditions of prisoners as well as officers due to the unhealthy environment of the compound.
4. Recommends the government to provide training abilities overseas for the Firearms Unit staff in order to enlarge the skills and knowledge to perform its service. Also to provide funds in order to carry out awareness’s to the public so it may alert the consciousness of people about the importance of reporting such issues and situations to the Ministry’s office when witnessing illegal arms and weaponries that are imported within the country.
5. To recommend the government to look into the duties of those who are responsible with the monitoring and controlling of Borders, since illegal, dangerous and unsafe firearms are found in the country.
6. To take into account why a huge total of the ministry’s budget is returned while there are still many obsessions that still needs to be done. As the Committee noted from both reports, $2,590,704.00 was the total appropriation of the Ministry that was returned on the 2007-2008 financial year as well as the 2008-2009 financial year which totals $737,138.00.
7. Since the Ministry does not comply with terms of submitting Annual Reports, it is recommended that the Ministry promptly prepare and submit Annual Reports to Parliament. The Parliament has already started its work for the year 2014, but both reports draws back to the years 2007/2008 and 2008/2009. Therefore the Ministry shall adhere and comply with timely submission of Annual Reports in accordance with Parliamentary requirements.

3. FINDINGS:
The Annual Reports of the Ministry of Police and Prisons for Financial Years 2007/2008 and
2008/2009 highlights major achievements and some of the challenges faced by the Ministry in the delivery of its core services, during the allocated financial years.
3.1. VISION
A Service To Be Proud Of
3.2. MISSION STATEMENT
To deliver Policing and Correctional Services through; working with the community, reducing crime and traffic offences by prevention and detection, responding to requests for assistance, providing a visible and accessible police presence, and the detention and rehabilitation of offenders.

3.3. FINANCIAL YEAR 2007-2008:
The Committee noted that the Ministry was able to develop and launch their second Corporate Plan 2007 — 2010 containing strategic directions for the Ministry during the next consecutive three years. It presents the willingness of the Ministry to embrace change and adapt to meet the endless evolving needs of its operating environment.

In this financial year, the Ministry managed to deliver efficient policing services during the 13th
South Pacific Games which was hosted in Samoa. The Committee recognized the Ministry working together with their neighboring partners towards their preparations in particular, the Australian Federal Police; the New Zealand Police and the New South Wales Police. The Ministry of Police and Prisons successfully provided protection and security services for all team villages and camps, sports venues, VIPs and government officials as well as general public control.
The Committee witnessed from this financial report one of the Ministry’s achievements which was the establishment and the opening of the new Samoa Police Headquarter in Apia. The Ministry believes that the remarkable building introduces the improvement and image of the Samoa Police Service. The Committee also noted that the new office enhanced the accessibility of the service through well constructed facilities such as Firearms Unit and Police Armory to safeguard and secure police firearms and firearms exhibits. Also the Committee witnessed numerous illegal weaponries that are currently in custody for court cases. Other facilities include an in-house custody cells; private interview rooms; exhibit rooms for crime analysis and more.

One of the Ministry’s important initiatives in this financial year was the establishment of its new service known as the Professional Standard Unit. The objective of the unit is ensuring professionalism in the service and by doing so; investigations are done within the office as well as public complaints examining all acts of police misconduct (Internal Discipline) reported from within the Ministry or from the general public.

The Committee noted that this part of the service is operating confidently, receiving numbers of complaints from the public and enabling them to seek for solutions to any issue handed.
Moreover, the Ombudsman Office is also comprised in the operation, investigating every action within the Ministry and providing resulted reports in every three months for the consciousness of the Ministry.

The Ministry continued to be the major employer for the young generations of Samoa due to the Committee’s findings. Under the Recruitment and Selection System, 40 new members were recruited and trained to undertake policing roles and responsibilities.

The Committee noted that the Ministry is still continuing its Peacekeeping Missions within the Regional Assistant Mission in the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), Sudan and Liberia. Five different contingents of police officers were deployed to overseas peacekeeping missions within this financial year. The intention of the Ministry is to be able to represent the Government of Samoa towards its commitment to the region and worldwide in peacekeeping missions.

3.4. FINANCIAL YEAR 2008 - 2009:
Within this financial year, the Ministry was able to introduce the Road Switch Policy. The
Ministry also worked in partnership with the Land and Transport Authority by providing relevant technical training, supporting system and implementation plans to ensure the smooth execution of the project.
The Committee discovered that three new police outposts namely Lalomanu, Poutasi and
Vaitoomuli Outposts have opened and are now operating to enhance service delivery and especially to create greater partnership with the rural communities.
In this financial year, Samoa was devastated by the 2009 Tsunami. The Committee noted that the
Ministry was able to prepare the country by performing the Emergency Disaster Response
Exercise within the town area of Apia, ahead of the disastrous event.
In addition, the Ministry of Police continued its peacekeeping missions in this financial year although, the mission was further extended to other countries such as East Timor and Papua New
Guinea (Darfur).
The Committee noticed an additional division of the Ministry’s service launched at this financial year identified as the Community Engagement Unit. Its liability focuses on the minimizing of many crimes within the country and solely communicates with the public in various ways. They manage to create a range of awareness programs to accomplish their objectives. The Ministry responsively notified the Committee, that they have specifically performed the Neighborhood
Watch Program in the village of Vaitele since many crimes have been committed in this township. Fortunately, the Australian Government through the Australian Federal Police supported and funded most of the Ministry’s project to assist the goals and objectives in order to complete.
The Ministry also emphasized strongly about drawing the public’s attention to the core significance of the Community Engage Unit, in order for the people to be fully understand about the law and regulations especially the consequences that may follow. Moreover, the Ministry believes that the most awareness that people have, the easier it will become to deliver policing services. Due to the Ministry’s statement, there were a large number of crimes committed before the Unit was formed. But by chance, the Ministry witnessed a downfall from 2008/2009 and 2010/2012.
In this financial year, the Ministry was able to initiate another unit that puts its focus on Domestic Violence that is rising within families. The Ministry recognizes that several complaints about family or domestic cases have been reported to the Police Service, and it is why the
Ministry decided along with the assistance of the New Zealand Government to establish the
Domestic Violence Unit to deal with such issues.
The Committee noted that even though the Government and the Ministry have put into practice the separating of the Prison services from the Ministry, the management emphasized that it is still under the control of the Ministry. The new Commissioner has also been selected however; there is still no official approval for the prison Commissioner to begin its duties until 2015. The
Ministry mentioned, the new Commissioner of Prison and the Attorney General of the Law and
Justice Sector is currently in the middle of the implementation plan operation for the preparation of the Ministry’s separation. The Implementation Plan was set for its function for a 5 years operation (2010-2015). Clearly, the Ministry of Finance is continuing to allocate the budgets for the Prison service under one Ministry (MOPP) until the separation has completed.
The Committee believes that the separation of the Prison service is not an easy task for the Ministry to face. Reasonably, the Ministry must carefully monitor every step taken for a successful completion.

4. COMMITTEE VISIT:
The Committee was able to conduct a visit on Friday 23rd May 2014 at the Tafaigata Prison Facility and the Main Office of the Ministry of Police and Prisons. The Committee witnessed from its visit that the service provided by the Ministry is functioning accordingly and smoothly.

In terms of food and rations of the prison facility, the Committee discovered a well prepared room for its storage. Although, the Committee considers that the facility must contain a freezer to store other rations in order for it to last longer. The management mentioned that at the moment, the food products they store usually lasts for 3 to 4 months. Also, these foods are supposedly feeding every prisoner (men/women) as well as those who are in custody.

The Committee discovered that there are over 500 male prisoners within the facility, whereas the female compound contains 30 in total. There are currently 50 members of the staff and the management suggested that the staff number should be raised because the amount of prisoners is still increasing and the staff is having a difficult time controlling them.

The Committee started off at the males’ side of the compound, three Custody Rooms are in operation at the moment which holds 25 men in each of them. Due to the Committees observation, the environment of this side of the area is in a very bad condition. For that reason, the Committee advised that there should be a First Aid Station provided for the facility in case of sickness or illnesses towards the prisoners and especially the staff members.

There are 13 prison cells in total on the men’s side with bed base provided. One of the issues that were mentioned by the management is the bad conditions of water sanitation and believes that it should be taken into account as soon as possible.
The Committee’s observations continued at the female’s side and witnessed how exceptional the women’s compound has become. Every aspect in the area is currently well stabled from 3 cells, a custody room and the staffs command center.

MAIN QFFICE OF THE MINISTRY OF POLICE & PRISONS:
The Committee visited the main office in Apia and discovered that each on-going division is doing very well with their service. It started off from management offices and towards conference rooms which the police officers attended special trainings for SIDS preparation at that time.

The Criminal Investigation Unit contains 45 staff members and is still dealing with numerous cases waiting for court appearances. The Committee also visited the Firearms Unit and discovered numerous and various unlicensed arms which were captured from several people in the country. The firearms unit are still handing these cases to the court and also continuing investigations regarding the many illegal weaponries in custody.

The Committee also visited the Custody and Watch Rooms holding those who break laws. The sole purpose of this unit is to ensure the security and safety of the people. For those who have been in hold in custody, they await for the time to be appeared in court and for a decision due to its crime. The Ministry also mentioned that this part of the service will soon be handed over to the Prison ministry after the separation is completed. The Committee discovered in these custody rooms that it has become smaller in space based on the increase number of those who have been held.

One of the Ministry’s old buildings includes the Domestic Violence Unit, which its core role is to deal with the issues that are raised from within families. According to the Ministry, there has been a decision made from the Cabinet that the second floor of the building will be handed to the Samoa Victim Support Group to use for its training and their services while the lower floor will be under the Ministry. Although, the decision has been amended where the whole building will be given back to the Ministry since nothing has been done to the first decision. Therefore, the

Ministry notified the Committee that discussions have been made with JICA and finalized the re- constructing of the building with hope that it will complete before the SIDS conference.

The Committee visited the Traffic Unit and discovered the fluent operations they are performing.

The Ministry also revealed the Committee a few renovations that have been completed for the current office. The Traffic unit is still working jointly with the Land and Transport Authority by monitoring the traffic for the safety of travelers except for a few differences in terms of laws and regulations. The Ministry received l0 new motorcycles this year which 2 of them is given to the police office in Savaii, while the rest is left in Upolu. There are also new bicycles for the Ministry which is now mainly used under the Community Engagement Unit in order for the staff to stretch its service to villages and families far from the town area. However, the Ministry believes that they are still shortage with vehicles because the vehicles that existed at the moment are not enough to respond to cases reported in the service.

5. ASSISTANCE:
The Committee sough assistance from the Ministry of Police & Prisons during the course of its deliberations:-
Fauono Talalelei Tapu - Acting Commissioner
Nafoitoa Talaimanu Keti - Acting Commissioner
(Community Engagement Unit)
Afamasaga Michael Soonalole - Acting Commissioner
(Domestic Violence Unit)
Angela Nynette Enosa - Finance Manager

6. STANDING ORDERS 173:-
In accordance with the provisions of Standing Orders 173, it shall be the duty of the Committee to:-
(a) To consider any Bill, petition or other matter referred by the Assembly or pursuant to
Standing Orders; and such Estimates or review of ministerial performance as maybe referred by the Finance & Expenditure Committee;
(b) To consider private bills;
(c) To examine the policy, administration and expenditure of the ministries and associated government organizations related to central government advisory services, security intelligence, statistics and services to Parliament.

7. RESOLUTION:
At the conclusion of its considerations, the Committee resolved to recommend that the
Assembly:-
Approve P.P. 2013/2014 No.78, Ministry of Police & Prisons Annual Report for the
Financial Year 2007-2008.
P.P. 2013/2014 No.79, Ministry of Police & Prisons Annual Report for the Financial Year
2008-2009.

TUISA Tasi Patea
CHAIRMAN